THE STEPS TO FINDING A LOST MIA

How To Do It Yourself - The Steps

If you are seeking information about military personnel who served in the USAAF or the USAF, first, obtain as much of the following information as possible:

1. Full name and serial number of the individual.

2. Rank held at a specific time or highest rank achieved.

3. Names and dates of awards for decorations received (e.g., the Purple Heart).

4. Unit(s) to which the individual was assigned or attached and the dates of service.

5. Individual's military occupation or specialty, e.g., pilot, navigator, bombardier, gunner, physician, nurse, maintenance technician, supply clerk, security or military police, etc.

Second, contact local sources if original residence is known:

1. Adjutant General's Office in the individual's state of residence for data on state personnel who served in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam.

2. County and State Veteran's Service Offices for information in case the individual applied for Veteran's benefits or hospitalization.

3. County Office of Vital Records in individual's county of residence prior to entry into service for either birth or marriage records of the individual.

4. County Probate Office for a will or Letters of Administration on file for the individual if he or she possessed property in the county and is now deceased.

5. Newspapers published in the city or county where the individual is presumed to have lived prior to entry into service for news items or articles, including obituaries or death notices.

6. Local post of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Veterans of World War II, and the like, for information on local men and women who survived service in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam.

7. The State Office of Vital Statistics for death records of service personnel who died while on active duty.

Finally, the following Federal agencies may be able to help:

1. Next of kin may ask for a copy of the service member's personnel records (including "201" files) by contacting:

National Personnel Records Center

Attn: Air Force Reference Branch 9700 Page Blvd St Louis MO 63132

2. For aircrew members lost in combat during World War II:

Request a Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) under the individual's name from:

National Archives and Records Administration

Attn: Textual Reference Branch 8601 Adelphi Road College Park MD 20740-6001

3. To determine whether an individual was declared missing or killed in action, contact the agency below. They can also provide location details if the deceased is buried in a US overseas or national cemetery. If the response is negative (no record of death or continued missing status), it is possible that the member survived.

U.S. Total Army Personnel Command TAPC-PED-F 2461 Eisenhower Ave, Room 984, Hoffman Bldg 1 Alexandria VA 22331

4. To contact Air Force personnel who are still on active duty, or who have retired: Write a letter to the person you wish to contact. Place the letter in a sealed and stamped envelope with your name and return address and the name of the individual on the outside of the envelope. Send this envelope to the agency below along with a note giving all identifying information about the person you are trying to reach. Ask the locator to add the individual's current address to your sealed envelope and to forward it to the person you wish to contact. A $3.50 finder's fee must be included (make check out to: DAO-DE RAFB). HQ AFPC/MSIMDL 550 C Street W, Suite 50 Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4752

If nothing else works: Consider "search notices" or letters to the editor in the following publications:

Air Force Times 6883 Commercial Drive Springfield VA 22159 Fax (703) 750-8601

The Retired Officer Reader's Exchange TROA 201 N Washington Street Alexandria VA 22314-2539

Sergeant's Magazine 5211 Auth Road Suitland MD 20746

Also consider running a search in one of the national telephone directories now available on CD-ROM (compact discs readable by a personal computer). These directories contain millions of telephone numbers retrievable by name. Several companies are now offering such a product (PhoneDisc USA and PhoneDisc Reverse are but two), and the public can often find these directories in public or university libraries. The service is usually updated monthly and can vary widely in quality.

Another suggestion is How To Locate Anyone Who Is Or Has Been in the Military: Armed Forces Locator Directory, Fifth Edition, by Lt Col (Ret) Richard Johnson, MIE Publishing, $23. It explains hundreds of proven ways to locate current and former members of all service branches, including Guard and Reserve. It provides information on how anyone may obtain copies of individual military records, rosters, muster rolls, after-action reports and numerous other military records. Please note: The inclusion of this publication does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or Department of Defense.