"ALL THE RECORDS BURNED!" Have you heard that phrase regarding the status of Army, Air Corps, and National Guard records from World War II? Roughly 80% of these records did burn in a fire in 1973. The Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, and Marine Corps records were unaffected, except for a very small percentage. Researchers with family members in these branches have access to complete military service histories. All the tools researchers need to start exploring their World War II sailor or Marine's service are included in this volume. The tools include: -The basics of starting research. -Tips for online and offline military research. Instructions for ordering and using the Official Military Personnel File and collateral records to reconstruct service history. -Tips on researching from Europe. -Tips on researching the service history of women who served in the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. -And, tips for placing the soldier into historical context using higher level records. Through dozens of examples, checklists, and document images, researchers are taught how to analyze the Official Military Personnel File, records created for the Missing, the Prisoners, and the Dead, and numerous other records which may help reconstruct the service history. This is the most important reference guide researchers need to begin researching and writing the story of their Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Merchant Marine World War II sailor or Marine available today.