Geneology Question?

Question

I recently learned I am related to a soldier KIA in WWII. I have his name and serial number, can anyone help me to find out where i can use this info to find out more about what happened to him and where he served and in what unit etc. Thank you

Answer 1

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/militar...

and

http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/militar...

say that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place - privacy and freedom of information. I tried to help a lady who wanted a citation for the Navy Cross for a fellow from her hometown who stayed in his gun turret until he burned to death in 1942. They wouldn't give it to her because she was a librarian, not a next of kin.

You can get limited data from NARA; see above. His hometown newspaper may have had mention of him anywhere from a day to 30 days after he was killed.

http://www.tedpack.org/obit.html

outlines some ways you might get a copy. It would be exactly like getting an obit, except you or the internet angel would have to read through more sections of the newspaper.

PS "Internet Angel" is the term for someone who looks things up at the library / cemetery for complete strangers who live outside the county, out of kind-heartedness. It isn't like the tooth fairy.

Answer 2

I take it that you are from the USA as this the site I found you on.  You need to contact the Branch of the Armed forces your ancestor was in, If your Ancestor was part of what is now the Commonwealth IE Britain, Canada New Zeland etc then you could start by looking at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Web Site.

You could also search the Newspapers of the time, there could have been a obituary.

Good Luck And Good Hunting