Happy holiday's everyone. I have a question regarding how to go about obtaining veterans information. My neice's dad was in the Army and she recently enrolled in college and was told se may be entitled to educational benefits and was asked to provide some additional information about her fathers service in the army. All we have is his name, branch of military service and his social security number. Anyone have any suggestions on who or where to go to get this information? Thank you all in advance.

oh geez, you're killing me here.

OK, is he alive? If so, she should ask him.

If not, as the next of kin she can request a copy of his Discharge Papers, which might have some information on them that would show eligibility for educational benefits, specifically scholarships (for example an award of the Purple Heart makes a dependant potentially eligible for a scholarship from the MOPH).

VA Benefits are also potentially available. They are limited to the unremarried spouses and children of veterans:

1. Have died or are permanently and totally disabled due to a disability arising from active military service.

2. Who died from any cause while rated as permanently and totally service connected disabled.

3. Are listed for more than 90 days as currently MIA, captured in the line of duty by a hostile force or detained or interned by a foreign government or power.

4. Who died while on Active Duty.

Thanks Serg for taking the time to read my query. You asked if her father was still alive and the answer is yes. You suggested she contact him to get the information? She can't because he lives in another state and has recently relocated ans she doesn't know where he is. Is there something or someone else she could contact. He lived in Chicago when he was in the military and his daughter now resides in Indiana. Thanks again for your time. Happy new years!!!!!

You download a DD form 180 and fill in the information and they will send you a copy of his seperation papers either WD 53 or DD 214, they may even send you his medals with ribbons also. this is exactly how I obtained my dads papers and medals as well as my late father-in-laws medals.

Thanks Fritz and I'll download that form. Happy 2008.

The next of kin of a DECEASED veteran can recieve full copies of the DD-214. If he is not deceased you must have his permission.

Straight from the NPRC Website:

With the veteran's authorization.

The veteran (or next-of-kin if the veteran is deceased) must authorize release of information which is not available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). (In some cases the veteran may already possess military documents that contain the information you are seeking.) The authorization must 1) be in writing; 2) specify what additional information or copies that NPRC (MPR) may release to you; and 3) include the signature of the veteran or next-of-kin. (A sample authorization is included for your review.)

Without the veteran's authorization.

Limited amounts of information can be released from a record to a member of the general public. This is the information available under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Please review the list of releasable items under that topic.