2. Department of Defense – current files of active
personnel
National Archives and Records Administration
(NARA)
archives.gov
DOD transfers personnel files to Archives (St. Louis)
after separation from the armed forces
Available to the public 62 years after separation from the
military. Access restrictions before 62 years.
Record of Persons of Exceptional Prominence (PEP) as
soon as 10 years after the individuals date of death.
3. Surviving spouse that has not remarried
Father
Mother
Son
Daughter
Sister
Brother
5. Pension Applications
Most comprehensive source of information. Can
include letters and pictures
These files are a soldiers or family members claim to
receive pension.
Personnel Files
Dates of service, rank, unit, assignments, performance
evaluations, disciplinary actions.
Recent records are not online.
6. Pre-1917 files are stored NARA
Washington, D.C.
Post-1917 are stored in St. Louis, Missouri
National Personnel Records Center,
Military Personnel Records (NPRC-MPR)
7. All files can be ordered online using a
variety of forms.
eVetRecs
DD Form 214 Report of Separation
Older military service records (pre-1917)
NATF 86
Pension applications and Bound Land
Warrants NATF 85
13. Started as iArchives in 1999 digitizing newspapers
In 2007 branched out to footnote.com digitizing
historical documents, especially military records
Bought by Ancestry.com in 2010 and rebranded to
fold3.com
Stand alone subscription service at 11.95 month, 79.95
year. Some libraries are free like the War of 1812
pension records