Pls. help newbie with stupid military forms. Government! AARRGG!

[Dem2theMax]

It's after midnight. I'm sitting here with Form 180. I feel REALLY sorry for anyone who actually works in the military and has to fill out forms all day long. I'd kill myself if it were me.

Anyway, I need some clarification from people who have gone before me (and have filled out these things successfully.)

The form is asking for the 'service number.' I have a WWI 'roll number.' Is that the same thing?
(The questions may sound stupid, but hey, it's my first form!) ;)

Report of Separation. One, what is it? Is it literally a report on when the person left the military?
That's what I'm guessing. But I want to be sure. With the military, who knows?

The form asks that I put down the 'year or years of separation.' I have no idea when my relative left the service.
Will this kill my chances of getting any info?

Since I don't even know the year of separation, which document am I supposed to be asking for?
My choices? An undeleted report of separation or a deleted report of separation.
I'm not qualified as 'next of kin' so I don't know if they will give me much information, based on the 'instructions.'

Lastly, it asks if I want "any other information and/or documents."
I don't have any idea of what else they may have, so I don't know what else to ask for. Anyone been here/done that?
If you have any suggestions as to what I might put down in the way of requests, please let me know.

I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that someone, or someones, will be able to answer my pitiful questions.

And now, I am going to go and thank God, the white light, the powers that be, the universe, whatever it is out there - for not putting me in a chair, in front of a desk, on some military base, where I'd be filling out forms while I contemplated my suicide.

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. Erm.....

I thought you were requesting the forms for your grandfather? If you are a granddaughter, you would be considered next of kin, if all other avenues are deceased.

I had to get my aunties to request my uncles' forms for me.

If you're requesting forms for someone for whom you're not next of kin, I believe that could be considered against the law, although I'm not positive.

[Dem2theMax]

2. No, these are for my great uncle. I just got his draft card info so now

I have something to go on. I'm going to get records for my GGGrandfather, not Grandfather, too, but that's another form. AAARRRGGGG.

The instructions say that you have to be one of the following to be considered next of kin: the spouse (but only if not remarried,) father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter. That's it. It says that they are the only ones who can have a 'next of kin' request. My Dad, who would be his nephew, is the only surviving relative (that we know of.) So even he doesn't count as 'next of kin' on their list. The request will still be coming from him, in the hopes that it helps.

It does say that even if you are not next of kin, you can request information, but that you might not get as 'much' information released to you as you would if you WERE next of kin. So it's not against the law. It's just up to them as to how much info they want to release. There is a space on the form to explain why you want the info if you are not next of kin.

So I'm back to my original questions. I don't know where else to start getting them answered but to come on the board.
If no one can, or wants, to help, oh well, back to square one. ;)

P.S. I had made definite plans to visit a certain military cemetery two days ago, on Friday. Totally forgot that it was Veterans Day weekend. Had to scrap those plans till next week. Could you see me trying to find a grave on Veterans Day weekend? LOL.
This would have been me -----> :crazy:

[fudge stripe cookays]

4. Hey-- sorry I missed your reply!

I was in Everett, Washington over the weekend meeting with a new set of cousins, collecting pix and stories and stuff.

Just got in Monday night, and had to go right back to work when I got back. Hmmmm....I was under the impression that if you weren't next of kin it was either pointless to order military records, or that you weren't allowed access at all. I'll have to re-read the instructions on the 180 to see what YOU found because I've got plenty of guys I'm interested in finding info on!

I also have a guy who supposedly won a Croix de Guerre from the French, and I'm really curious to find out what he did. I had a letter composed in French to send out on one of my laptops-- now I have to see if I can find it again.

Sorry wasan't here with a ready answer! Sometimes life gets in the way! Thanks for the cemetery thoughts! I was in Everett for Veterans Day, and we went to the cemetery, but it wasn't a Veterans Cemetery so we were OK!

Thanks again.
fsc :hi:

[Dem2theMax]

3. Never mind. I got help from people on another board.

nt.

[sybylla]

5. You could post the answers you got here...

It might help others here who are in the same boat or soon to be.

Sorry we weren't much help!