Military Records Library

Find the records that document a military career, support a claim, or help answer a family research question. Choose one of the eighteen record families below to learn what to preserve and what each record can establish. For a missing record, start with the Obtaining Missing Military Records guide.

Eighteen Record Families

The production Records Library uses stable MREC identifiers. Each page explains the record’s evidentiary role, limits, preservation package, required source metadata, and connected Life Record chapters.

Records before conclusions. Unit, ship, aircraft, medical, pay, claim, and personal records answer different questions. Link them only when the evidence supports the connection.

Read the Catalog

The founding historical registry contains 22 catalog entries. Several are components or derivatives of the same 58-page VF-13 assembly. Duplicate scans, OCR, excerpts, and transcriptions do not count as independent corroboration. The Records Library distinguishes source lineage from record relationships, while the Official Source Catalog separately governs current official program, form, system, and authority sources used by the Navigation Guides.

Founding Catalog

ID	Record	Supports / limits
MC-JS-VF13-1944-001	Chronology of Fighting Squadron Thirteen — 58-page scanned assembly	Contains three formal submissions and enclosures. Filename understates scope; archival series and custody chain still need confirmation.
MC-JS-VF13-1944-001-N44	VF-13 history submitted 25 Nov 1944	Transmittal, chronology, narrative, organization, roster, scores, tactical problems. Retrospective squadron history; combat credits are not an independent audit.
MC-JS-VF13-1944-001-ORG44	VF-13 organization, 1 Sep 1944	Names Sullivan executive officer and Coleman commanding officer. Surname-only Sullivan entry.
MC-JS-VF13-1944-001-ROSTER	Personnel roster in November 1944 history	Lists Jaye Michael Sullivan, file 84348, lieutenant, USNR, Operations Officer, Rawlins. Roster effective date not stated.
MC-JS-VF13-1944-001-SCORES	Flight personnel scores and biographical notes	Reports AAD 1, SF 41, two Air Medals and one DFC recommended, Iowa State attendance. Not a flight log or proof awards were granted.
MC-JS-VF13-1944-001-M45	VF-13 history submitted 1 Mar 1945	Return, reformation, January relief, February CO status. Underlying appointment orders needed.
MC-JS-VF13-1944-001-S45	VF-13 history submitted 1 Sep 1945	Fallon, Livermore, carrier qualifications, transport to Hawaii, September organization. Unit movement is not personal travel proof.
MC-JS-VF13-1944-001-ORG45	VF-13 organization, 1 Sep 1945	Names Lt. Comdr. J. M. Sullivan commanding officer. Exact promotion date not established.
MC-JS-VF13-1944-002	Squadron Saga, 1 Dec 1944	Names J. M. Sullivan commanding; contains informal “Smasher” narrative. Literary account requires operational corroboration.
MC-JS-VF13-1944-003	“Smasher Sullivan” derivative transcription	Finding aid only. Not independent corroboration; check against scan.
MC-JS-EDUC-001	Iowa State Bomb research pointer	Points to possible 1939 yearbook pages. Does not establish degree, graduation, ROTC, or identity until pages are checked.
MC-USN-CV13-1944-001	Franklin III (CV-13), DANFS	Official ship history identifying CVG-13/VF-13 and later ship history. Secondary institutional history, not a 1944 deck log.
MC-USN-CV13-1944-002	USS Franklin official overview	Reports 31 Jan 1944 commissioning. Ship event, not personal-service evidence.
MC-USN-CV13-1945-001	USS Franklin 19 Mar 1945 official history/photography overview	Later-deployment evidence. Does not establish Sullivan presence.
MC-AUTH-NARA-001	Request Military Service Records	Official request/access guidance; rolling 62-year archival rule depends on actual separation date.
MC-AUTH-NARA-002	1941-1959 Navy Deck Logs	Explains monthly officer lists and remarks sheets. Lists may be omitted; not individual sortie proof.
MC-AUTH-NARA-003	Navy Muster Rolls and Personnel Diaries	Explains officer/enlisted coverage distinction. Enlisted muster search is not a substitute for officer records.
MC-AUTH-NARA-004	OMPF archival holdings/access	Describes transfer and public access after 62 years from separation. Use rolling rule, not stale example years.
MC-AUTH-NARA-005	Department of the Navy Records finding aid	Research routes by command, time, and record class. Finding aid does not prove a named file exists.
MC-AUTH-VA-001	VA military service records guidance	Identifies obtainable information and National Archives request routes. Custody/access depend on service and separation.
MC-AUTH-CFR-038	eCFR Title 38	Current/historical regulatory navigation for veterans subjects. Match rule version and effective date; eCFR is not the official legal edition.
MC-AUTH-USC-1552	10 U.S.C. § 1552 — correction of military records	Statutory correction authority. Substantive guidance requires current text plus board-specific procedure and facts.

Record Relationships

The registry distinguishes PERSON, UNIT, SHIP, AIRCRAFT, EVENT, MEDICAL, PAY, CLAIM, AUTHORITY, BENEFIT, FAMILY, PROPERTY, and LEGAL records. Links connect them without merging their identities. A ship log may support a dated officer-list entry; a unit history may support a unit movement; an individual order may support the personal assignment.

Copies and Derivatives

Matching titles and file sizes identify candidate duplicates, not verified byte-identical copies. Each derivative should retain its source-lineage relationship. No duplicate, OCR product, or transcription counts as independent corroboration merely because it exists as another file.

Official Source Catalog

Open the MilitaryClaims.us Official Source Catalog to see the stable Source IDs, official links, recorded propositions, verification dates, volatility, next-review dates, and Guide cross-links used across the site.