National Archives Help

[Marc Garlasco]

Gents,

My brother-in-law and a friend will be going to the archives in February and would like pointers on how to prepare so they use their time to the fullest. I will paste their interest below. I might go and do some other research also listed below. One is a vet:

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I also want to track my service records to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">China</st1lace></st1:country-region> and my service there. They broke up our 4<SUP>th</SUP> Division and sent the Marines with only one battle to <st1lace w:st="on">Tsingtao</st1lace> for six months. If that search is simple I would pursue it as a second priority. The first is as you stated: the Hdq. Co. 24<SUP>th</SUP> Marines, 4<SUP>th</SUP> Mar Div path on <st1lace w:st="on">Iwo Jima</st1lace>.

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My goal is to confirm the unit the my wife Kathy's great uncle, Edward Maguire, was in during WWII. I have a letter from the DOD that suggests he was in the 5th Armored Division in <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Luxembourg</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Belgium</st1:country-region>, and <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Germany</st1:country-region></st1lace>. There is some conflicting family history that suggests he was in a different division.

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I would like to research my Opa's Luftwaffe Flak units and my Oma's brother's FJ units.

[usgrant]

Nara

First thing to bare in mind is that College Park does NOT have military personnel records. They have unit records of a historical nature only, i.e operational, intelligence reports, and after-action summaries etc. These are extremely impersonal and rarely name anyone below Major.
The divisional "General Orders" for the awarding of decorations like the Silver Star and Purple Heart and in some cases the Combat Infantry Badge(CIB) is perhaps your only bet at finding any personal data of an enlsited man or junior officer.
If your relative is not an officer of a higher rank it is extremely doubtful (99%) that he will have any records at College park. The best and really only source is the National Personnel records Center at St. Louis. It is true most of the Army Personal 201 folders were destroyed in 1972. However, you still can receive a "Statement of Service" which is a kind of one-page 201 file which were not lost in the fire. I have my father's from WW2 and it is fairly accurate but not greatly detailed. It will only list his unit at seperation, medals and wounds received, a thumb print and seperation pay and MOS.

The Marine Corps records are located at the Marine Historical Center which has I believe moved to Quantico. They have I believe muster roles (unit lists of names in their collection).

German Unit records from ww2 are incomplete but are at least microfilmed for easy viewing. Most surviving Army records are similar as the US records coniianing operational, supply and intelligence records up to mid 1944 with the IIA(personnel Branch) records missing. Some IIA records survive at higher levels, i.e. Armee, Korps, but if the relative was not an officer killed or wounded or someone awarded the Knights Cross you won't be mentioned by name but as a statistic.
Luftwaffe units are very incomplete. The Bundes Archiv is the best source for Luftwaffe records. However, there are surviving Luftgau records within the German Reich that do contain flak records.

Hope this helps!
Phil

[Marc Garlasco]

Thanks!!!
Marc