Seeking Adam Sowieralski’s military status

Luke,

It looks like I was also able to find his draft card but no record of him in the Archives AAD site. Looks like he had some brothers Joseph and Stanley Sowieralski which is how military called it looks like over the years they switch the ra and ea around probably a common mistake. Also tried alternate spellings.

Hope this helps,

Elliot Schneider

Dear Mr. Sowieralski,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

The World War II draft registrations cards only indicate that a person registered for the draft.  They do not indicate that a person served.  Not all those that registered were drafted.

Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive listing of all persons that served in the military for World War II or any other war.  There are some databases with partial information. The World War II Army Enlistment Records database available through Access to Archival Databases (AAD) is a compilation of enlistment data captured on punch cards by the Army. The database covers most personnel who enlisted in the Army from 1938 through 1946, but there are gaps in the database where the original records were missing or unreadable. It does not include records for those who were officers when they first joined. It also does not include records from the other military services. Additional databases available through AAD are databases relating to US prisoners of war and naval intelligence personnel.

Selective Service records for individuals who served after World War I and were born before 1960 are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis (RL-SL). If he was drafted into the service, this may be indicated on his classification history (also called a classification ledger). The Classification History (SSS Form 102) may contain: name; date of birth; classification and date of mailing notice; date of appeal to the board; date and results of armed forces physical examination; entry into active duty or civilian work in lieu of induction (may include date, branch of service entered and mode of entry, such as enlisted or ordered); date of separation from active duty or civilian work; and general remarks. Please complete a Form NA-13172 to request a search of these records and email it to RL-SL at stl.archives@nara.gov. Please attach a scan of the draft card as it sometimes contains information which may be helpful in locating the classification history. If he voluntarily entered service rather than being drafted, this may not be indicated in selective service records. 

If he served, there should have been an Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) created for him. OMPFs and individual medical reports for those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and who were separated from the service prior to 1958 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. In many cases where Army and Army Air Corps 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. Navy and Marine Corps OMPFs were not affected by the fire. 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. If there is any information requested by these forms that you do not know you may leave it blank or provide estimates (such as writing “World War II” for service dates), however the more information you provide, the easier it will be fo NPRC staff to locate the correct file if it exists and if it was not destroyed by the fire. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests.

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 RL-SL. Also, the NPRC is currently only servicing emergency requests associated with medical treatments, burials, homeless veterans, VA Home loan guarantees, and employment opportunities. If this is urgent, please see Emergency Requests and Deadlines. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Another resource that can be used to identify military service is the Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File. This index contains birth and death dates for more than 14 million veterans and VA beneficiaries who died between the years 1850 and 2010. The BIRLS Death File is a Veterans Benefits Administration database that lists information for deceased individuals who had received benefits from the Veterans Administration while they were alive. If an individual did not receive benefits from the VA, and/or his death was not reported to the VA, his information would not be included in this database. The database can be accessed, with paid subscription, on Ancestry and Fold3. Ancestry and Fold3 also have a number of additional name searchable databases documenting military service. Local and/or university libraries may provide free access to these databases for their patrons.

Some veterans registered with their discharge information with their county court or registered  with their state for the purpose of receiving state and local veterans benefits. You may wish to contact the county where he resided after the war, as well as the state archives and the state agency which is responsible for veteran services where he lived.

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