Air Force COL Theodore Dale 1941 thru 1970.

If you have not already done so, we recommend that you request the Official Military Personnel File, or OMPF, of Theodore Roosevelt Dale.  Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs) and individual medical reports for those who served in the U.S. Air Force who were separated from the service after 1946 and prior to October 16, 1992 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center 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, and a certificate of military service will be issued.  You should at least be able to receive separation papers (form DD-214) which will list key points of his time in the service such as dates of his service, when he was deployed overseas, awards and decorations, and the unit he was assigned to upon separation from the military.  You may apply online for this file at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/.

The National Archives in College Park has custody of the series World War II Combat Operations Reports, 1941–1946 (entry NM-6 7-A) within the Records of the Army Air Forces (Record Group 18).  This series consists of mission reports, operations and field orders, statistical summaries, and narrative and intelligence reports of Army Air Forces combat units during World War II.  Should you know the unit(s) he was attached to during WWII and the dates of the missions, these records may be able to assist you further.  We will be happy to make the records and their finding aids available to you or your representative in the Textual Research Room (Room 2000) here at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. Please visit our website for information about visiting the National Archives in College Park, MD, including how to schedule a research visit.

For missions after WWII and for records of the unit(s) he was attached to during his service, we recommend that you contact the Air Force Historical Research Agency.  Unit histories and supporting documents of Army Air Force and Air Force units are in the custody of the Air Force Historical Research Agency, 600 Chennault Circle, Building 1405, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112-6424.  These files often include historical reports.  You should call (334) 953-2395 or write to that office for further information concerning these records. The web site is http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Individual Flight Records of separated Air Force personnel and Aircrew Mission Flight Data are maintained for 56 years. For information concerning the location of these records, we suggested that you contact the Air Force Records Manager, Department of the Air Force, SAF/A6PPA (C&I Policy Branch), 1800 Air Force Pentagon, Washington, DC 20330. 

We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow up questions for the staff at Archives II, please email us at archives2reference@nara.gov so that we can assist you further.

We hope this assists you with your research!

Sincerely,

Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR)
[RR2RR 25-09867-LN]