Copies of the communications from your branch of service or other government agency
or employer to your next-of-kin informing them of your status as a prisoner of war or
civilian internee or other such communications concerning your status.
A copy, or copies, of documentation in your military records (OTHER THAN FORM
DD214) confirming that you were a prisoner of war. Said copies may be procured
from the Military Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Please
prepare a written request using the FORM 180, and
mailing to the National Personnel Records Center, in St. Louis, MO.
Copies of your unit's Morning or Muster reports for the date/dates of your status
change to missing in action or captured. These records for the U.S. Army, U.S. Army
Air Force and U.S. Air Force are located at the St. Louis Center and may be obtained as
indicated in #3 above. (None of these records were destroyed in the fire.) The
records for the Navy and Marine Corps may be obtained by writing:
Archives II
Textual Reference Branch
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6100
A copy of the first and other applicable pages of the USAAF Missing Air Crew Report
(MACR) can be used to verify the fate its of flyers downed during WW II. A copy may be
obtained by writing the Archives II address in #3 above. Requests must include a minimum
of name and WW 11 serial number. The date and, if available, the aircraft tail
number may help speed up the request. Enclosing a money order for $6.00 will avoid further
correspondence and delay.
Copies of the War Claims Commission letter will be accepted as proof from civilian
internees only.
Other items of record may be accepted as documentation by the organization, i.e. a
copy of your German capture card; a copy of a Kriegsgefangenenpost letter or post card you
sent from captivity; a copy of an International Committee of the Red Cross form listing
you as a POW; or a copies of newspaper articles from your capture/recovery time frame
concerning your captivity.
Do not send any documentation as proof of captivity if
obtaining it required an item of basic proof listed in numbers 1 through 5, above.
For example, the following do not constitute proof:
VA patient data card
A letter or form from the VA concerning your inclusion in
their POW program
A letter or form from the Defense Finance Service
The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission or the War Claims
Commission regarding pay for unused leave or compensation for poor diet or treatment
unless you are a civilian internee
An auto registration form granting a POW license plate
Correspondence indicating the award of the POW medal
A newspaper article or other type of report of a talk you gave
on your experiences.
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