DD-214

Question

Just need my dad's, now deceased, 1950's DD-214 number, not a whole copy, for a simple discount...my mom, 83, forgot where it is and it's taking too long in the mail! Is there a way to just get the number in an immediate lookup online?

History Hub Info · Answer

Hello TeriMartindale 
 Thank you for posting your question on History Hub! 
 Unfortunately, there is no way to quickly look up information from a DD Form 214, you will need to submit a request for your father's Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) from the National Military Personnel Record Center in St. Louis. When submitting your request, indicate that you are only requesting a DD Form 214; this will expedite your request. 
 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 . 
 In general, OMPFs for military personnel who were separated from the service between 1912 and 1992 are in the custody of 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, and a certificate of military service will be issued. 
 For the location of all service records organized by branch and year, please see the following link: www.archives.gov/.../locations 
 You may also 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) . 
 Archival OMPFs, those that are 62 years and older, may also be requested by visiting the Archival Research Room at the National Archives at St. Louis . Please email stlarr.archives@nara.gov for further assistance prior to making an appointment. 
 We hope this helps with your research!