Monroe's NARA Records Request — ready to sign and submit
Subject: Herman Monroe Wilson ("Monroe"), b. 1921-02-20 Hemp (Fannin Co) GA, d. 1996-10-06 Brasstown NC. US Navy, Pacific, WWII. Source facts: [[2026-07-20-wilson-tree-v0]].
TL;DR — what to do this week
- Print the SF-180 (REV. 3/2024), fill it per the guide below, sign, and mail it to NPRC St. Louis — or submit online via eVetRecs (faster, no printer). Budget $70 (flat fee, invoiced before copies ship). Expect ~3 weeks to 3 months.
- Text/call Dad first for 3 fields (service number, enlistment/discharge dates, SSN) — but do NOT block on him; the form explicitly allows "unknown," and name + DOB + branch + approximate dates is enough for NPRC to find a Navy file.
- Muster-roll preview while NARA processes: HCPLC card gets you Fold3 + Ancestry Library Edition, but both are in-library only — one branch visit, search "Herman Monroe Wilson" in the WWII Navy Muster Rolls, and you'll likely walk out with his ship AND service number the same afternoon.
Why this works (the legal posture — verified 2026-07-21)
- Records of veterans discharged 62+ years ago are "archival" — transferred to NARA legal custody and open to the general public. No next-of-kin proof, no veteran authorization, and per the SF-180 itself: "No signature is required if the request is for archival records." Monroe separated ~1945-46 → archival ~2007-08, nearly two decades past the line. Anyone (you, Dad, either) can order.
- Navy records were NOT touched by the 1973 NPRC fire — that destroyed Army (1912-1960) and Air Force (1947-1964) files. WWII Navy OMPFs survived intact. Expect a real, full file.
- Source: archives.gov OMPF archival requests + the SF-180 instruction sheet (REV. 3/2024, OMB 3095-0029 exp. 5/31/2027), both read directly today.
SF-180 field-by-field fill guide
Form: download at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180 (current rev. 3/2024). Instruction: answer everything you can; write "NA" for not-available, "unknown" where the form says so. More info = faster search.
Section I — Information needed to locate records
| # | Field | Write |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name used during service (last, first, full middle) | WILSON, Herman Monroe — records consistently use "Herman Monroe"; he went by Monroe but the file will be under the record-order name |
| 2 | Social Security # | ASK DAD. We have a possible 243-30-5473 from an aggregator — [UNVERIFIED / POSSIBLE-tier only, do not write it on the form unless Dad confirms]. If unconfirmed: "NA". (WWII sailors were tracked by service number, not SSN — this field is optional for a 1940s file.) |
| 3 | Date of birth | 02/20/1921 |
| 4 | Place of birth | Hemp, Fannin County, Georgia |
| 5a | Service, past and present — ACTIVE row | Branch: US Navy. Date entered: ASK DAD (likely 1942-43 [UNVERIFIED]; if unknown, write "unknown, WWII ~1942"). Date released: ASK DAD (likely late 1945-1946 [UNVERIFIED] — he married Oct 1945 as a "Navy Man" per the NYT announcement, so still in service Oct 1945; "unknown, ~1945-46" is acceptable). Officer/Enlisted: check ENLISTED [PROBABLE — confirm with Dad; if he was an officer nothing breaks, NPRC searches both]. Service #: write "unknown" (the form explicitly permits this) — or the real number if Dad or the muster-roll lookup produces it first |
| 5b, 5c | Reserve / National Guard rows | blank / NA |
| 6 | Last duty station(s) | "Unknown — served in the Pacific theater" (or the ship name if the Fold3 lookup lands first) |
| 7 | Is this person deceased? | YES — date of death 10/06/1996 (date is mandatory when YES) |
| 8 | Did this person retire from military service? | NO |
| 9 | Has this person filed a claim with the VA? | NO [UNVERIFIED — ask Dad; if unknown, check NO/leave blank. Harmless either way for an archival file] |
Section II — Information and/or documents requested
| Field | Write |
|---|---|
| 1. Check items | Check "Official Military Personnel File (OMPF)" — this is the whole file (duty stations, assignments, training, awards, enlistment/discharge papers, and the WWII-era separation document). Do NOT also check DD-214 separately — WWII Navy used the NAVPERS-553 Notice of Separation, and it's inside the OMPF. One box, whole file, one $70 fee. |
| Medical / dental boxes | Leave unchecked (medical may be interfiled in archival OMPFs anyway; asking separately just adds complexity) |
| 2. Purpose | Check "Genealogy". Explain line: "Family history research. Archival request — veteran separated from service more than 62 years ago (WWII, discharged ~1945-46) and is deceased (1996). Requesting complete OMPF." |
Section III — Return address and signature
| # | Field | Write |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Requester name | Ben Wilson (you) — or Dad; for an archival file it genuinely doesn't matter. If Dad signs: relationship "Son / next-of-kin" is the cleaner label |
| 2 | Relationship to veteran | If you: check OTHER — specify "Grandson (archival request — general public access, veteran separated 62+ years ago)". No proof-of-death document is required for archival requests (that's a NOK-of-non-archival requirement), but stapling a copy of the Find A Grave printout or the 1996 obituary costs nothing and pre-answers questions |
| 3 | Requester checkbox | Check OTHER (do not check NOK — that triggers the proof-of-death paperwork path you don't need) |
| 4 | Send information/documents to | Your full mailing address, daytime phone, email — print legibly, complete address |
| 5 | Authorization signature + date | Sign and date anyway. Not required for archival, but it removes all ambiguity if a clerk mis-sorts the request |
Submission — three options, pick one
Option A — Online (recommended, fastest intake): eVetRecs
- Start at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records → "Request records online". The wizard covers the same fields; as a non-veteran making an archival request you proceed as a member of the public. No printer, no stamps, immediate confirmation + request number.
Option B — Mail the SF-180 (the paper-trail option; nice ritual to do with Dad):
National Personnel Records Center (Military Personnel Records) 1 Archives Drive St. Louis, MO 63138-1002
That's address code 14 on the SF-180 page 2 chart — Navy, discharged 1/1/1886–1/30/1994. Applies whether enlisted or officer for a 1945-46 separation.
Option C — Fax: 314-801-9195 (archival requests line).
Fee (verified today on archives.gov): flat $25 if the OMPF is 5 pages or fewer, flat $70 for 6+ pages. A WWII Navy OMPF is essentially always 6+ pages → budget $70. No money up front — NPRC mails/emails an invoice after locating the file; copies ship after you pay. [UNVERIFIED: exact payment channels on the invoice — typically pay.gov/card/check per the invoice instructions.]
Timeline: NPRC's pandemic backlog was eliminated Jan 2024; routine requests now run under 20 days, but archival reproductions of older records "may take longer" — realistic window ~3 weeks to 3 months [UNVERIFIED beyond NARA's own "response time varies" hedge]. Allow ~10 days after submitting, then status-check at https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/forms or 314-801-0800. Do not send a follow-up before 90 days (it re-queues the request).
HCPLC library card — Fold3 / Ancestry verdict
Yes, HCPLC has both — but in-library only (verified on hcplc.org/research/atoz today):
- Fold3 History & Genealogy Archives Plus — "In Library use only"
- Ancestry Library Edition — "In Library use only"
- Remote-from-home with the card: MyHeritage, HeritageHub (obituaries), African American Heritage. FamilySearch is the partial exception — HCPLC's own note says its affiliate-restricted collections are used from the library (a free FamilySearch account still covers the general collections from home). MyHeritage remote is a real consolation prize for the broader tree work.
So the muster-roll preview = one branch visit (any HCPLC branch; the John F. Germany downtown branch houses the genealogy collection). Library card is free for Hillsborough County residents; sign up online or at the desk, then use any research PC.
What's actually in the WWII Navy muster rolls (the preview payload)
- Fold3 publication: "US, World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949" (https://www.fold3.com/publication/829/) — digitized from NARA RG 24, name-indexed, 33+ million records. Ancestry Library Edition has the identical collection ("U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949", collection 1143) — search whichever indexes better that day.
- Every ship/station mustered its enlisted crew quarterly, plus monthly "reports of changes" (transfers, discharges, hospitalizations). Each line gives: name, service number, rate/rating (his job — the thing we've never known), date received aboard, and enlistment date.
- One good hit on "Herman Monroe Wilson" (also try "Wilson, Herman M" and "Wilson, H M", filter b. ~1921 GA) yields: his ship(s), his service number, his rate, and his enlistment date — i.e., three of the "ask Dad" fields, from a library terminal, same day.
- Free at-home follow-up: the underlying images are digitized in the NARA Catalog (NAID 594996, "Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 1939-1949", https://catalog.archives.gov/id/594996) — browsable by ship+date without any subscription once the library search tells you which ship and quarter to open. From the ship name you also unlock the ship's war diaries and action reports (Fold3 "WWII War Diaries") — the actual Pacific-campaign narrative Monroe sailed through.
- Caveat: muster rolls cover enlisted personnel; if Monroe turns out to have been an officer, the equivalent lookup is Navy Officer Registers / directories — cross that bridge if the enlisted search comes up empty [UNVERIFIED which applies until Dad confirms enlisted vs officer].
Ask-your-dad list (one call, five questions)
- Monroe's Navy service number — any old papers, the discharge certificate, a dog tag, the family Bible?
- Enlistment and discharge dates (even just the years) — and did he enlist from Fannin County GA?
- Monroe's SSN — to confirm or kill the aggregator's 243-30-5473 [POSSIBLE-tier].
- Enlisted or officer? (Betting enlisted; the NYT "Navy Man" phrasing and small-town GA profile fit an enlisted rating, but that's vibes, not records.)
- Does Dad already have any of the file? Families often hold the NAVPERS-553 Notice of Separation — if he has it, it names ship, rate, service number, and dates in one page, and the SF-180 becomes trivially complete. (Also: does Dad know he carries his own great-grandfather's exact name? See the naming-heirloom note in [[2026-07-20-wilson-tree-v0]].)
None of these block submission. File the SF-180 with "unknown" where needed; upgrade the request only if Dad's answers arrive before it's mailed.
Sources (all read 2026-07-21)
- OMPF Archival Records Requests — archives.gov (public access, fees $25/$70, address, fax)
- SF-180 REV. 3/2024 — GSA PDF (read directly, all 3 pages; address-code table + "no signature required if archival")
- Request Military Service Records / eVetRecs entry — archives.gov
- OMPF access for the general public — archives.gov
- VA News on NPRC backlog elimination (Jan 2024, <20-day routine turnaround)
- HCPLC Research A-to-Z (Fold3 + Ancestry LE = in-library only)
- Fold3: US WWII Navy Muster Rolls 1938-1949 · Ancestry collection 1143 · NARA Catalog NAID 594996