How to Find a Military Photo of a Family Members Records

8 Replies Latest reply on Feb 24, 2022 two:01 PM by Donald Hall Branched to a new give-and-take.

Seeking a photograph of dad in uniform

How can I go a picture of my dad in his armed forces compatible? He fought in World War II during 1942-1945. He was a Corporal in the Army. I am desperately looking for ane every bit we have never had a picture of him when he served in the Army.

Re: Seeking a photograph of dad in uniform

Joshua Schroeder Jun 25, 2020 3:37 PM (in response to Lorain Armijo)

Dear Ms. Armijo,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

The "official" photograph of an private is not considered to exist permanent federal records by the respective military machine services and is non retained in a carve up collection by the service. If the photo you are seeking still exists, it will almost likely exist constitute in the individual'southward Official Military Personnel File. However, there is no guarantee the photograph will be present.

We suggest that you request a copy of his Official Armed forces Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and individual medical reports for enlisted men of the U.S. Regular army who were separated from the service after Oct 1912 and prior to 1958 are in the custody of NARA'southward National Personnel Records Eye in St. Louis. In many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 burn , proof of service tin be provided from other records such as morning time reports, payrolls, and armed services orders, and a certificate of military machine service will be issued. Please consummate a GSA Standard Grade 180 and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (War machine Personnel Records), ane Athenaeum Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. You besides may fax the class to 314-801-9195 OR view the record past visiting the NPRC Archival Research Room in St. Louis, MO. Veterans and their next of kin as well may use eVetRecs to request records. Meet eVetRecs Help for instructions. For more information see Official War machine Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests .

Due to the coronavirus public health emergency, the National Personnel Records Centre is servicing simply urgent requests related to homeless veterans, medical emergencies, and funerals which may be faxed to 314-801-0764. We thank you for your patience and expect forward to resuming normal operations when the public health emergency has ended.

Photographs of diverse U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps activities dating from 1940 to 2007 are in the custody of the National Archives at College Park - Still Picture show (RDSS). Please contact RDSS via email at stillpix@nara.gov and their web site is https://www.athenaeum.gov/dc-metro/college-park/photographs-dc.html .

Due to the COVID-xix pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adapted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical piece of work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a upshot of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement also as a substantive response to your reference request from RDSS. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

We promise this data is useful. Best of luck with your research!

8 people institute this helpful
Re: Seeking a photograph of dad in uniform

joan stachnik Jun 26, 2020 1:28 PM (in response to Lorain Armijo)

Hello Lorain, I received an e-mail last calendar month from the Archives (photograph sectionalisation) regarding individual photos. I've copied sections of the email below. Information technology might exist worth a try. Likewise, I found a photograph of my dad (likewise a WWII veteran) at my public library historical photograph drove; information technology had been from a collection of WWII photos from a community center in my dad'southward neighborhood. I'm bold my grandmother or one of my aunts gave the photos to the center for display during the war (local boys overseas). Hope this is of some help. joan

Recently added to the National Archives Catalog includes a digitized portion of the Army's personality index titled 111-PX: Alphabetize to Personalities in the U.S. Army Signal Corps Photographic Files (111-SC, 111-P, 111-PC, 111-C), 1940 – 1981, covering World War 2 and the Korean War time menstruation. The alphabetize can be useful for locating Ground forces service members as well as notable personalities. A 2d section covering the Vietnam State of war fourth dimension catamenia is available onsite in our research room, and will exist made available in the Catalog in the near future.

One important particular to keep in listen while searching 111-PX is that not every service fellow member is included within the index. Typically, college ranking individuals are the nearly frequently found in the index and oftentimes, individuals are not identified in the photographs. If you lot are unable to discover the name of a specific individual, that indicates that we likely do not take a photograph of them or if we do, they were not identified in the caption.

And then, click the result titled "Index to Personalities in the U.South. Army Indicate Corps Photographic Files (111-SC, 111-P, 111-PC, 111-C), 1940 – 1981," NAID 530686.

Clicking on the championship takes you to the Catalog description for the series 111-PX. Then, you can click on the blue button "Search inside this series" to view all of the related Catalog entries.

Within the Catalog, the records are grouped in an alphabetical range by the last names of individuals within File Units. After clicking the "Search within this serial" button, yous will run into a listing of all of the bachelor file units. To search, you will demand to locate the group of records that includes the last name of the person you are searching for.

For case, to search for someone with the last proper name "Davis," we would discover the File Unit of measurement, titled "Index to Personalities in the U.South. Regular army Signal Corps Photographic Files, 1940 – 1954: Danner – Davis."

After selecting a File Unit, yous can view all of the cards in the alphabetical range. Beneath the main prototype viewer is a listing of all of the cards. The alphabetize cards have Indicate Corps numbers associated with each name, which are the private photograph identifier numbers. Once you have located a carte du jour with the name of the person nosotros are searching for, we tin then find the half dozen-digit Indicate Corps number.

The numbers are typically five to six digits and oft preceded past "SC." The complete Signal Corps number would combine "111-SC" and the vi digit Signal Corps number to be "111-SC-XXXXXX." In this example, the photograph of Pvt. Adam H. Davis is identified by the Indicate Corps number 111-SC-198304.
These numbers align to various series of records within the Still Moving picture Branch, but will primarily align to the serial 111-SC: Photographs of American Military Activities, ca. 1918 – ca. 1981. While not all of the related photographs accept been digitized or are available in our Catalog, nosotros were able to locate the photo of Pvt. Davis within the series 111-SC: Photographs of American War machine Activities, ca. 1918 – ca. 1981 by searching the Itemize for the Signal Corps number 111-SC-198304.

Local Identifier: 111-SC-198304, Original caption: "Bastogne, Belgium–Weary infantrymen of the 110th Regt., 28th Div., US 1st Ground forces following the German breakthrough in that surface area. The enemy overran their battalion. (L-R) Pvt. Adam H. Davis and T/S Milford A. Sillars. Dec. nineteen, 1944"

Important Tips

Information technology is helpful to know of a few gaps within the series that may cause difficulty while searching. First, a portion of the index covering last names that start with J thorough K were never transferred to NARA and information technology is unknown where they could be located. Next, a few cards within the index accept only the "Field Number" and no associated or clear Indicate Corps number. For instance, a menu may take but the number "FEC-49-2102," and no easily identifiable six digit number.

Additionally, the majority of photographs within 111-SC take not been digitized. If you do locate an epitome that y'all would be interested in viewing, we invite you to our Higher Park Inquiry Room to view the photo and whatsoever other related photographs every bit well.

If y'all have questions most however photographs, you may contact the Still Picture Branch at stillpix@nara.gov.

3 people found this helpful
Re: Seeking a photograph of dad in uniform

Bryan Cheeseboro April 7, 2021 3:02 PM (in response to Lorain Armijo)

Hullo,

My suggestion (but this is all no guarantee of success) is to outset with his military records by obtaining them from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Yous will need to electronically submit the form:

https://vetrecs.athenaeum.gov/VeteranRequest/home.html

One time you lot are able to notice out what military unit he served with, you can narrow down your search for WWII photographical records. Granted, this will likely be a considerable amount of work and could take a long time, if ever to produce results. But if you can find something, as well every bit get in touch with someone who has considerable knowledge of the military unit during the fourth dimension period, that would be very helpful to your search.

1 person found this helpful
Re: Seeking a photo of dad in uniform

Linda Hindes Feb 18, 2022 xi:25 PM (in response to Lorain Armijo)

Best of luck in your search and request.

My Dad served about the same time and I received a packet of his military data. Although at that place was a fire, near copies are legible. No photos were included but y'all can request medals that he earned.

Linda Hindes
Re: Seeking a photo of dad in uniform

Donald Hall Feb 24, 2022 2:01 PM (in response to Lorain Armijo)

Also, in one case you lot know what unit he was in, you can find out if the unit has a related association, or published history. His photograph could be available through them. Also, if it'due south an active (large) unit, it may have a museum and associated archive which may accept something.

But information technology all depends on knowing the unit he was in.