To request military service records of your veteran now click here: Request a WWI Marine Corps military service record
What is the WWI U.S.M.C. service record? The WWI U.S.M.C. service record (also referred to as the Official Military Personnel File or O.M.P.F.) is a vital tool for researching individual Marine Corps veterans of WWI. During the Great War the service record, which was essentially an administrative collection of records pertaining to the individual veteran, was transferred everywhere the veteran went- from basic training to discharge. The WWI U.S.M.C service record was constantly being updated as a way to document every aspect of the WWI marine’s service. Even decades after the WWI veteran’s discharge, official paperwork would have been added to the service record if it had any bearing on the WWI marine’s service or retirement.
The WWI U.S.M.C. service records are some of the most complete and fascinating of all of the National Archives holdings and they are often stuffed full of military and non-military documents alike. The usefulness of the WWI U.S.M.C. service record for both genealogical research and military research cannot be overstated. If you are serious about researching a WWI U.S.M.C. veteran then the WWI U.S.M.C service record is a must-have. As the lead researcher of Golden Arrow Research (which specializes in research of military records maintained at the National Archives) I have personally handled thousands of these files. My experience provides me with a unique perspective on the kinds of documents, photos and artifacts found inside these files as well as how they can be used to glean more information on the veteran you are researching. My goal with this article is to give you an idea of what you can expect to find inside of the WWI U.S.M.C. service record and also to give you some options for accessing your veteran’s file.
Can I find all the marine corps records I need online for free? The answer to this question is: no, not really. While there are some records online which are somewhat fragmentary and do not give you the entire picture on the service of individual veterans, these free internet records are really only useful for gaining a more cursory understanding of the career of your WWI marine. As you will see, if you are intent on researching a WWI U.S.M.C. veteran there is no way around it: You will need to have the complete WWI U.S.M.C. service records of your WWI marine. The best way to make sure you are getting every page in the file and good quality scans of the service records is to hire a reputable research company to get those records for you. Golden Arrow Research is widely considered to be the best option for this type of work and you can visit their page on WWI records here: Research a WWI U.S.M.C. veteran.
What can I expect to find inside the service file of my WWI U.S.M.C. veteran? I’m going to share one of my favorite WWI U.S.M.C. service records which cover the service history of Ople Waggoner who was a sniper with the 78th Company of the 6th Marine Regiment during the Great War. Mr. Waggoner was twice wounded in action, was cited for heroic achievement in combat, and also awarded the French Guerre de Coix medal for his work in silencing enemy sniper nests. Let’s explore some of the more common kinds of documents that can be found inside of the military service records of U.S. marines who served during the Great War.
A period photo of your veteran. Period photographs are for me the most thrilling thing to find inside of the service records maintained at the National Archives. The images provide a window into the past, allowing you to look right into the eyes of the veteran you are researching. While many WWI marines do have a period photograph in their service file it is by no means guaranteed that your veteran will have a photo. Finding a photograph in the file is the luck of the draw. The only way to determine whether your veteran has a period photo in their file is to order that file. Here is the photo of Ople Waggoner from his service record which is dated 23 May 1917. This would have been about two weeks after his enlistment and just shy of his nineteenth birthday.
WWI Enlistment records. An enlistment document is a great tool for understanding both your veteran’s civilian background and military service. The WWI enlistment document allows us to ascertain details regarding the place and date of birth, as well as a physical description showing the veteran’s height and eye color. The enlistment paperwork also shows us locations where he lived, the name of his next of kin, and his civilian occupation at the time of his induction. Note that his physical examination determined that he had 20/20 vision which would have been a prerequisite for his success as a sharpshooter in the marine corps.
Certificates showing advancement in rank. When your veteran was promoted in rank this would have been recorded in the service file. In the case of Waggoner, his promotions were recorded on certificates that were placed in his service file. He was advanced to corporal in May of 1918.
Documentation of wounds received in combat. When a veteran was wounded in action this would have been recorded and the record placed inside of the service file. Waggoner was wounded in action twice during WWI. We can see that he was exposed to mustard gas on 14 June 1918 (he was also struck in the face by artillery shrapnel on this same date). After returning to the unit from the hospital he was severely wounded in the chest by artillery shrapnel on 12 September 1918.
Citations for heroic action under fire. Waggoner was cited for heroic achievement in combat for dislodging German snipers who were firing on American and French front-line troops during the battle for Belleau Wood. This bloody fight for ground in the area near Chateau Thierry is one of the most legendary engagements in U.S. Marine corps history. The documents in your veteran’s service file can not only confirm specific battle’s in which they participated, but also whether they were cited for heroics. This is something that is not always possible to determine if one relies solely on the sparse material which is available for research on the internet. Since the Silver Star medal was not authorized until 1932 Waggoner was not awarded the medal until he had returned to civilian life. As you can see he was cited by his commanding officer after knocking out several German snipers during the Belleau Wood engagement. His skill as a sniper must have saved the lives of many of his fellow marines and their French allies.
Waggoner was also cited by the French for his ability as a sniper.
The service record book. The service record book is a stapled booklet that was maintained throughout the service of the WWI U.S.M.C. veteran. This booklet covers every detail of the service from start to finish and it records just about everything you need to know about the service of the individual veteran. Some of the more common elements of the service record book which you can expect to find are a photo of the veteran (in many instances), his fingerprints, information on the next of kin, civilian occupation, and even his shoe size!
Notice that in the case of Waggoner they actually recorded his rifle number as well.
The service record booklet also records each engagement that the veteran was involved in. Inserts were glued in to the service record booklet (which can appear a bit messy!) over time to ensure that the veteran was credited with campaigns or battles of which he was a participant. This allows us to have a clear chronology of the veteran’s combat participation.
Application for adjusted compensation. In 1924 additional benefits were made available to veterans of the Great War under the Bonus Act. The completed application for benefits often provides a good chronology of the veteran’s time in the service and it also gives us a snapshot of what they were up to (and where they were living) in the roaring 20’s.
Medical records. While Marine Corps and Navy veterans have completely separate files which are devoted to their medical treatment while in the service, some of the WWI U.S.M.C. service records also contain official medical records. These medical documents will cover hospitalization and treatment for some of the following: wounds received in action, injuries incurred in the line of duty (or not in the line of duty), and medical discharge documents for those who were unable to continue their service due to a medical condition of some kind. In the case of Waggoner his medical records indicate that although he was wounded twice by German high explosive shellfire -it was a post-war accident which led to his separation from the Marine Corps.
Correspondence. When correspondence related to an individual veteran was received by the U.S. Marine Corps these letters were placed inside of that specific veteran’s service record. You never know what you will find in these files. I have seen letters from grieving parents, jilted lovers, famous politicians, generals, as well as more modern documents such as descendants of the veteran writing the marine corps to find out more about their ancestor’s service. Correspondence inside of the WWI U.S.M.C. service record can provide a glimpse at the personal life of the individual which the somewhat impersonal military documents tend to omit.
Initially, veterans who were wounded in the Great War were authorized to wear ‘wound chevrons’ on their uniforms. In Waggoner’s case he was eligible to wear two of these chevrons on his uniform. It was not until 1932 that the Purple Heart medal was officially authorized. With modesty that is characteristic of many of the veterans I have researched Waggoner himself would not apply for any of his medals. As the foreign legion post commander indicates in his letter to the marine corps: Waggoners wife was ‘after him’ to get these medals awarded to her husband.
A summary of military service from start to finish. At the turn of the century the marine corps began recording significant events from the career of individual veterans and listing them on a lined card which was maintained inside the service record. These cards provide a breakdown from enlistment to discharge of important details such as units of assignment, promotions, and wounds received in action among a variety of other important milestones.
I hope that you have enjoyed learning about the WWI U.S.M.C. service record and being able to view some of the records from Ople Waggoner’s file. At the close of WWI many American troops followed their British counterparts in the tradition of decorating their headgear as a way to memorialize their service. Here is an image of Mr Waggoner’s painted Brodie helmet which he brought home as a souvenir after the war. The insignia painted on the helmet is specific to Mr. Wagonner’s unit: the 6th Marine Regiment.
Although we covered some of the more common kinds of documents which can be found inside of the WWI U.S.M.C. service record, there would be no way to cover every single possible document that one might find in these files. The only way to know what is inside the service record of your WWI marine is to order their file.
How can I access my WWI U.S.M.C. veteran’s service records? There are a couple of different options for accessing your WWI U.S.M.C. veteran’s service record.
The first option is to order photocopies of the file directly from the government. The cost is basically the same as hiring a private company to scan your veteran’s file so it is not worth the risk to go through the government (in my opinion).
The second option, and the one I recommend, is to use a reputable research company such as Golden Arrow Research to locate and digitally scan your veteran’s WWI U.S.M.C. service record. When you use a reputable research company such as Golden Arrow Research you can be sure that you are receiving a high-quality digital scan of every page in the file, including a high-resolution image of your veteran if one exists. Using a private research company also means that you will only have to wait weeks (rather than months) to receive the high-quality scans of the WWI U.S.M.C. service record. The digitally scanned records come right to your email address and allow you to view the documents, photos and artifacts in your WWI marine’s service record exactly how they appear in their original form. I hope that this article has been helpful for you in understanding some of the records that you can expect to find inside of the WWI U.S.M.C. service record. Happy hunting!
