I learned this morning that Reclaim the Records won a lawsuit to provide access to the BIRLS records for our veterans. Their new BIRLS website allows you to search and submit a FOIA request for the C-File (Veterans Claims File).
From their website:
The Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) database was originally created and maintained by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA). It provides an index to basic biographical information on more than 18 million deceased American veterans who received some sort of veterans benefits in their lifetime, including health care, disability or life insurance policies, educational benefits (the GI Bill), mortgage assistance (VA loans), and more. The BIRLS database includes people who served in all branches of the US military, including some branches that no longer exist, such as the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) and the Army Air Corps, as well as a few associated non-military groups and government agencies, such as NOAA. It even includes files for some non-US nationals, including veterans of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Scouts and Guerillas, who served prior to and during the Second World War.
When you prepare the forms to submit the FOIA request, there are many bullet points to read to make sure you understand the type of data you may receive. This may include mental health, sexual health, sensitive medical information, and other details. The form ends with you, the requestor, needing to acknowledge by checking a box that you understand the following:
You, the FOIA requester, therefore understand that these files might contain all sorts of information which might be considered sensitive, objectionable, upsetting, disparaging, invasive, or otherwise cause you or the veteran’s family members or heirs distress. If you are not okay with the possibility of learning this kind of information, then you should not make a FOIA request for this kind of file, and you should hit the cancel button now.
Once the request is submitted they send you an email with further information. It will likely take 6-8 weeks for the VA to even respond. There is also information provided throughout the process on what to do if you get an overly redacted file or they say they have nothing.
When we understand through the research, our veteran’s service experience and the VA File, their medical and mental health treatment, we may find more empathy or compassion for those who served. Let’s hope this provides families with more answers so we can begin to tell the stories, preserve the memories, learn lessons, and heal our families and ourselves.
If you would like to start a research project, email me at info@wiirwc.com and let’s set up a free phone consult to discuss your project.
My grandma told me about my great grand uncle Michael Kokoska when she was in her early 90s. I was a 26 year old new family historian at the time. She said he fought and died in France during WWI and was buried at Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago. At the time she told me about Michael and a few other relatives who served in WWI and WWII, everyone thought all the records burned and no one would find anything about their military family member. Little did I know just how much information I would discover to be able to write his story several years later.
Today in 2019, military research is so much easier than it was 20+ years ago. There are so many resources available if you know where and what to look for. The VA Master Index is one such resource.
What is the U.S. Veterans Administration Master Index?
The VA Master Index is a resource that is available in part online (1917-1940) and in part at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis. The VA Master Index is an index of veterans who served at any time during World War I, between wars, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and who made (or whose heirs made) pension or benefits claims of the Veterans Administration.
The Index card contains the soldiers name, sometimes a unit (but not always), their address, serial/service number, birth date, enlistment date, discharge date and/or death date, and codes for pension information.
Why is This Information Helpful?
Many people need help locating a service/serial number, which is required for military records research. For those researching Army or Air Corps/Army Air Forces/Air Force, where the OMPF (service file) was burned or partially damaged by the 1973 fire at the NPRC, having a unit at some point in time is required for research. There is no master index of every unit in which someone served. While the VA Index does not always have a unit listed, it is one source to locate that information.
Knowing the enlistment and discharge or death date of a service member is also important, especially in cases where two people have similar or same names. It’s important to remember, just because two people have the same name on a military record you find online, does not make it your service member.
For years 1917 – 1940, you can find this index on FamilySearch for free. For post 1940, you need to request a search through the NPRC or work with a researcher to get a copy. Obtaining the VA Index is part of the research we do for clients.
Did you know Reclaim the Records partnered with FamilySearch to bring you this valuable index? Visit Reclaim the Records website to learn more about the work they are doing to make more records publicly accessible and free. Consider making a donation to this valuable cause.
Are you ready to take the next steps in researching your WWI, WWII, Korean War, or Vietnam War veteran? Start with the VA Index on FamilySearch when possible and check out our educational books to help you learn more.
Are you ready to learn the bigger picture of your family member’s
military service? We are taking new clients and can help you find the
answers and tell a deeper story about your family member. Email us at info@wwiirwc.com to set up your free phone consultation today to discuss project options, fees, and time.
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