I'm sending this as a reminder to all my lists of a Helpul Hint on my page (url below) and as proof it works! If you are not in the US, it still might help you if you have a US relative you need info on.... Twice now I have sent for records from the Veteran's Administration - once for my grandfather (which provided much information and led me to the McGlynn line in Brooklyn from Ireland which I previously did not know about), and then for my dear Dad (because I needed info on his first marriage and no one was talking about it -- so I had to get the info another way). Figuring this marriage info was in his VA claim (because I remembered a large "discussion" about it one summer), I sent a letter just asking for his VA file, giving only his name, date of birth, date of death, and some info I had that I thought might be helpful (addresses we had lived at, that he fought in the Pacific Theatre etc). Where did I send it? In each case I just sent it to my regional office, which for me was Atlanta since I live in Alabama (even tho they didn't live there, that is what I was told to do). The regional office then sends to whatever office holds the file. (In my grandfathers case it was NY, in my fathers case it indeed was in Atlanta since he died here in Alabama with me, and that is where the last correspondence of his death cert was ). Now in my grandfather's case nearly 3 years ago, I got nearly 300 pages of info on his Spanish American war record, his marriage certificate (bingo!), records of war injuries (very detailed), his death cert, my grandmother's application for pension, ending with her death certificate. Got all this within a month. Now in Daddy's case, the usual "Petzolt curse" was involved, as I sent away and never heard anything for a year. So I picked up the phone and called around in Washington DC til I got the right office, and finally found a very nice gentleman who said the man in charge had died right around that time and much was left at loose ends, so he started the paper trail for me again. It has been almost exactly 2 months since then to yesterday when I received nearly 200 pages of info in my mailbox. In my fathers case, it was very interesting because many of you may know many WW2 records were destroyed in a fire, but since his copies were in his VA file, I have them, including some with burned edges! I did get the info on his first marriage, details of his war injury since he was claiming disability, and other things I had anyway (but might help someone who did not have these things) like his funeral expenses, application for a flag on the casket, death cert, even my own birth certificate as he was claiming me (then) as a minor child. Did I mention all of this is FREE? Yup, free. I do not think you have to be related directly to that person, as technically it goes to the FOIA (freedom of information act) Office of the VA. So if you have someone who may have gotten VA benefits, or even just applied for benefits even if they got turned down (because that's in a file somewhere too).... this could be a goldmine of information. And in my case, my Dad would never talk about his war injury, and now I finally know the details. So take a peek at the Helpful Hints page (as I often remind people ) there are sections there on what military records are available, and how to get those great VA files (a well kept secret, and one I expect eventually will be something we have to pay for.... due to the boom in genealogy... so take advantage of it). And by the way.... another "hint"..... when you write for anything to any office or library, use the term "family history" not "genealogy". For some reason, "family history" gets better results. Hope this helps someone..... I know it's certainly helped me, and made me feel closer to my Dad. Maura <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Maura Petzolt mpetzolt2@webtv.net <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> SHAMROCK ROOTS homepage http://community.webtv.net/shamrockroots/SHAMROCKROOTS Helpful Hints for Successful Searching http://community.webtv.net/mpetzolt2/helpfulhints

----- Original Message ----- From: "Maura" <mpetzolt2@webtv.net> To: <CountyCork-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2002 10:07 AM Subject: [Cork] US Vet's Admin Records > I'm sending this as a reminder to all my lists of a Helpul Hint on my > page (url below) and as proof it works! If you are not in the US, it > still might help you if you have a US relative you need info on.... > > Twice now I have sent for records from the Veteran's Administration - > once for my grandfather (which provided much information and led me to > the McGlynn line in Brooklyn from Ireland which I previously did not > know about), and then for my dear Dad (because I needed info on his > first marriage and no one was talking about it -- so I had to get the > info another way). > > Figuring this marriage info was in his VA claim (because I remembered a > large "discussion" about it one summer), I sent a letter just asking for > his VA file, giving only his name, date of birth, date of death, and > some info I had that I thought might be helpful (addresses we had lived > at, that he fought in the Pacific Theatre etc). > > Where did I send it? In each case I just sent it to my regional office, > which for me was Atlanta since I live in Alabama (even tho they didn't > live there, that is what I was told to do). The regional office then > sends to whatever office holds the file. (In my grandfathers case it was > NY, in my fathers case it indeed was in Atlanta since he died here in > Alabama with me, and that is where the last correspondence of his death > cert was ). > > Now in my grandfather's case nearly 3 years ago, I got nearly 300 pages > of info on his Spanish American war record, his marriage certificate > (bingo!), records of war injuries (very detailed), his death cert, my > grandmother's application for pension, ending with her death > certificate. Got all this within a month. > > Now in Daddy's case, the usual "Petzolt curse" was involved, as I sent > away and never heard anything for a year. So I picked up the phone and > called around in Washington DC til I got the right office, and finally > found a very nice gentleman who said the man in charge had died right > around that time and much was left at loose ends, so he started the > paper trail for me again. It has been almost exactly 2 months since then > to yesterday when I received nearly 200 pages of info in my mailbox. > > In my fathers case, it was very interesting because many of you may know > many WW2 records were destroyed in a fire, but since his copies were in > his VA file, I have them, including some with burned edges! I did get > the info on his first marriage, details of his war injury since he was > claiming disability, and other things I had anyway (but might help > someone who did not have these things) like his funeral expenses, > application for a flag on the casket, death cert, even my own birth > certificate as he was claiming me (then) as a minor child. > > Did I mention all of this is FREE? Yup, free. > > I do not think you have to be related directly to that person, as > technically it goes to the FOIA (freedom of information act) Office of > the VA. > > So if you have someone who may have gotten VA benefits, or even just > applied for benefits even if they got turned down (because that's in a > file somewhere too).... this could be a goldmine of information. And in > my case, my Dad would never talk about his war injury, and now I finally > know the details. > > So take a peek at the Helpful Hints page (as I often remind people ) > there are sections there on what military records are available, and how > to get those great VA files (a well kept secret, and one I expect > eventually will be something we have to pay for.... due to the boom in > genealogy... so take advantage of it). > > And by the way.... another "hint"..... when you write for anything to > any office or library, use the term "family history" not "genealogy". > For some reason, "family history" gets better results. > > Hope this helps someone..... I know it's certainly helped me, and made > me feel closer to my Dad. > > Maura > > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > Maura Petzolt mpetzolt2@webtv.net > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > SHAMROCK ROOTS homepage > http://community.webtv.net/shamrockroots/SHAMROCKROOTS > > Helpful Hints for Successful Searching > http://community.webtv.net/mpetzolt2/helpfulhints > > > ==== CountyCork Mailing List ==== > ** Posts go to CountyCork-L@rootsweb.com **