Seeking service record of Mason Crooke

Sharon,

Here is some information. click on image to enlarge. Here is where he is buried. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65184420/mason-howard-crooke

Dear Ms. Affeltranger,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

We suggest that you request a copy of his Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and individual medical reports for enlisted men of the U.S. Army who were separated from the service after October 1912 and before 1959 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. Please 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. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests.

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the Records of the 1st through 1111th Aero Squadrons, 1917 - 1919; Card File of Movements of Aero Squadrons, ca. 1917 - ca. 1919; and Correspondence Relating to Aero Squadrons, 1919 - 1930 in the Records of the Army Air Forces (Record Group 18). We also located the Records Relating to the History of the War Department, 1918 - 1941 in the Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs (Record Group 165).  Additionally, we located the World War I Strength Returns, ca. 1917 - 1939 in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917 - 1985 (Record Group 407). Finally we located Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917 - 1919 in the Records of the American Expeditionary Forces (World War I) (Record Group 120). These series may include records relating to his unit. For more information about these records, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at Archives2reference@nara.gov.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2. Also, the NPRC is closed except for emergencies. Currently, NPRC will continue servicing requests ONLY associated with medical treatments, burials, and homeless veterans seeking admittance to a homeless shelter. If your request is urgent, please see Emergency Requests and Deadlines. Please refrain from submitting non-emergency requests such as replacement medals, administrative corrections, or records research until NPRC returns to pre-COVID staffing levels. Please check archives.gov/veterans for updates to the NPRC operating hours and status. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Gorrell's History has been digitized and is available on Fold3 at Gorrell's History - AEF Air Service.  Accessing these records via Fold3 may require a paid subscription. Some libraries provide free access to their patrons.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research!