How can I find out more about my Grandfather's military background?

My grandfather fought in WWII and I would like to know more about his unit and where he was in the world during his deployment. He was drafted and later recieved the purple heart. He never talked about his time to there to anyone.





Someone told me there was a way to look into these things but I have no clue where to start.

How can I find out more about my Grandfather's military background?
Discovery channel.
Reply:you would need his SSN along with a basic idea of where and with who he served.............the fact that he got the purple heart means [i believe] that he was wounded during his time there.





once you have as MUCH info a you can get contact your local VA branch and they will set you on the right path. Birth / death certificate, discharge papers etc





The VA is the Veterans Administration and will be in the phone book showing a location closest to you.





Good luck with your search.
Reply:Military.com is one place to try. Another place would be the National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/index.html


You may also check (if there is one close) a genealogical library. They usually have military records on microfilm. You can also do a search on the unit itself (assuming you have that information) on a search engine.


Ancestry.com is a pretty good source of information as well. The initial search is free, but you have to get a paid subscription to access the information you find. This place will usually turn up military records and census records among other things. It will help in the search to also know birth date %26amp; place (at least the state because you can search by state) as well as death date %26amp; place.