Seeking military records of Sigvald Samuelsen

Hello Kleppe,

Here is some additional information. Naturalization petition papers, WW2 draft registration papers.

US Application Seaman's Certificate:

Merchant Seaman  schedule of the 1930 Census:

Family Photo of his father which he was also named  Sigvald Samuelsen but he was born in 1874

Photos of Bay View Cemetery located in Leonardo, NJ

Dear Mr. Kleppe,

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.

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. You may also attach a scan of the draft card as it sometimes contains information which can 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. 

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, however 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. Also available through AAD are databases relating to US prisoners of war and naval intelligence personnel.

If he served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, 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 for 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.

The Merchant Marine Personnel and Licensing Records dated prior to 1968 in the Records of the U.S. Coast Guard (Record Group 26) are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis (RL-SL). Please contact RL-SL via email at stl.archives@nara.gov.  Include the name, date of birth, dates of service, "Z" number, and date of death, if known, in your email.

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 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.

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. Some libraries 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 is responsible for veteran services where he lived.

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