Philip Skoloda, served in the 100th Infantry Division 397th Regiment Company F

Question

My Grandfather's brother, Philip Skoloda, served in the 100th Infantry Division 397th Regiment Company F. He was killed in France on December 5, 1944. I have been doing research to learn more about Philip, his service, his death, etc. and haven't been able to find much. Thank you in advance for anyone who can help.

History Hub Info · Answer

Hello JoeS 
 Thank you for posting your question on History Hub! 
 In addition to the excellent information provided by the community, we would recommend that you request his Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs for Army enlisted personnel who were separated from the service after November 1, 1912 (July 1, 1917 for officers) are serviced by NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis. In many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire , proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders. 
 You'll want to complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. If there is any information requested by the form that you do not know, you may omit it or provide estimates (such as for dates), but the more information you provide, the easier it will be to locate the correct file. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) . 
 Veterans and next of kin of deceased veterans may use eVetRecs to request records. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. Please note that next of kin of a deceased veteran must provide proof of death of the veteran such as a copy of death certificate, letter from funeral home, or published obituary. For more information see Request Military Service Records . 
 
 Special Note: if he was in the Army and killed in action, he should also have an Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) which may have additional information about the circumstances of his death and burial. These files were NOT affected by the 1973 fire. 
 At this current time, IDPFs from 1940-1976 for U.S. Army personnel with surnames that begin with A-L are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis (RRPO). For more information about these records, please contact RRPO via email at stl.archives@nara.gov . 
 Additionally, some IDPFs from WWII have been digitized and are available to search and browse on the National Archives Catalog . 
 We hope this helps with your research!

Jo Shipley · Answer

You are welcome. 
 Below is the December 5, 1944, entry from World War II: a chronology, December 1944 , published by Military Intelligence Division, War Department, 1941-1944, Washington, D.C. I inadvertently omitted it from the previous post. It does not shed much light on your great uncle's death. 
 Within the Vosges forests on the E, 397th Inf, which reverts to 100th Div from attachment to 45th Div, advances N' from Rothbach area, seizing Lichtenberg, Reipertswiller, and Wimmenau, meeting moderate resistance. 
 As Mr. McKone suggested, you may request your great uncle's IDPF from the U.S. Army's Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, KY via email: usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.foia@army.mil or 
 Department of the Army US Army Human Resources Command ATTN: AHRC-FOIA 1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Department 107 Fort Knox KY 40122-5743 
 Per the US Army Human Resources Command:

All FOIA requests must be in writing: (letter or email).

State your willingness to pay applicable fees. If you seek a fee waiver, provide justification for such waiver.

Describe the specific records you are requesting in enough detail so that the requested records can be located with a reasonable amount of effort.

Please provide your contact information. (Mailing address and phone number)

The following form letter from Myheritage.com contains the necessary information you should provide with the exception of the "willingness to pay applicable fees". You can ask for an estimate or authorize an amount not to exceed a specified amount. 
 
 Dear Sir/Madam, 
 I am requesting the Individual Deceased Personnel File for [Full Name of Service Member], who served in the [Branch of Service] and died on [Date of Death]. Below is the information I have gathered: 
 - Full Name: [Service Member&rsquo;s Name] 
 - Service Number: [Service Number] 
 - Branch of Service: [Branch of Service] 
 - Date of Death: [Date of Death] 
 - Unit/Regiment: [Unit/Regiment] 
 - Circumstances of Death: [Brief Description, if known] 
 I am conducting genealogical research as a [relationship to the deceased, if applicable]. I would appreciate any assistance you can provide in locating this file. (Fee authorization here) 
 Thank you for your time and consideration. 
 Sincerely, 
 [Name] 
 Address 
 Email