Services & Rates

Choose this option if you want to hire me to conduct a full search of military casualty records and put together the story of your veteran who was killed in WW2. I typically spend 7 – 10 hours per veteran, sometimes much longer. I charge a flat fee for this service, regardless of how complex a case may be; also, my fee covers the cost of certain records I will obtain for you. Some reports may take many months to obtain from government sources. I will stick with your case until it’s solved and will email you updates with my progress.

I will perform a full, custom records search and locate the following:

– All records of death, including date, cause, exact location
– Date of birth
– Name and home address of designated next-of-kin and/or beneficiaries
– Address and hometown at the time he entered the service
– Service-entry date
– Records of the recovery and identification of his remains
– Copies of correspondence between the military and next-of-kin regarding his death
– Inventory of personal effects, possessions, and documentation tracing their return, if any
– All records of original burial location
– All records of permanent interment (whether in the U.S. or overseas), including copies of forms signed and notarized by next-of-kin authorizing final burial

My full research and analysis service includes everything above, plus a comprehensive written report and analysis of all files located. I will reorganize the files so that they are clearer to the modern reader and provide an explanation of the military terms and acronyms in the file, along with a general review of the contents. Clients will learn and understand just what happened to the veteran and his unit or crew. Anything unusual about the records for a given individual will also be highlighted. I am often able to provide additional context and interesting details due to my many years as an historian and researcher.

To begin, please complete this form with details about the person you want to research. There is no cost or commitment to submit your query.

Please note: This service includes locating, analyzing, and interpreting a non-surviving veteran’s Individual Military Personnel records. I will search for all available records that the military and the veteran’s home state kept on his service. Sometimes unit records are requested in addition to personnel records to learn details that are not provided at the individual-record level. For research help with Unit Records searches, please see my separate service listing below.

Full Military Casualty Research & Analysis (Personnel Records): $250

You may skip the form above to submit your order directly through PayPal.

Full-Service Military Casualty Research (Personnel Records): $175

You may skip the form above to submit your order directly through PayPal.

“Tracking Dad Across Europe or the Pacific” 

This has proven to be one of my most popular research approaches. This service includes customized research on a military unit, air or naval crew involved in an operation or incident. Researched documents may include After Action Reports (AAR), Missing Air Crew Reports (MACR), unit journals and diaries, Morning Reports, and/or others, which may be requested for virtually any time period that the unit was in action.

Using various unit research methods I have developed, I can locate the complete path taken by a soldier, on a day-by-day basis, for his company, battalion, regiment or division across Europe or the Pacific during World War 2. This can tell us your veteran’s exact location at specific points in time, as well as additional information on his unit, provide information on casualties (killed, wounded, POW) incurred by the unit, transfers in and out, and more. The price for this work will vary, depending on the length of time to be investigated, difficulty in obtaining specific records, and similar details.

Please send me the details of your research request by completing the form at the link below. There is no charge to request a quote; I will get in touch with you to discuss your project.

Request a Quote

If you want to conduct your own WW2 military casualty research, but need guidance on where to look, help understanding terms, and other useful information, I can help you get started with this guided research option.

It took me several years to research my own relative, and I know how difficult these searches can be. I have developed a set of step-by-step instructions – one for each branch of service – to help you get started. If you choose this option, I will also schedule a 30-minute phone call with you to discuss the particulars of your specific search.

Use the PayPal link below to purchase my step-by-step instructions. I will email you the instructions within 24 hours (usually within just a couple of hours) and set up a time for a call with you to review your specific research project and the steps you’ll need to take.

Step-by-step instructions plus 30-minute phone consultation: $79

If you need a phone consultation with any part of your research, or understanding files you have located and you want to schedule a call with me, I would be delighted to talk with you. You can email me through my Contact page to set up an appointment, or prepay and I will contact you to set up an appointment.

Phone consultation by appointment: $65
Rate: $65 up to 1 hour; $65/hourly or fraction thereof

If you have located military records on an individual, but you need help fully understand them, this service is designed to help you.

I will fully review and organize the records you have found and give you a comprehensive written report and analysis of all the files you’ve located. I will also let you know if more records might be available for your veteran. I will also summarize the findings and highlight anything unusual about the records, if applicable, and add information that I can contribute based on my years as a historian and researcher. This process can take from 2 – 4 hours.

Once you purchase this service, I will email you to request the records that you have found and schedule a call with you to discuss them before I perform my review and write up my interpretation of your files. I will also tell you whether there may be additional files available for the person you’ve researched.

Cost for this service: $125
Purchase this service and get started right away.

This service might include research on a military unit, air or naval crew involved in an operation or incident, or it might include researching all of the individuals killed from your hometown or county, school or university, such as for a monument or other memorial. Services may include a full audit of your list of names, documents such as After Action Reports (AAR), Missing Air Crew Reports (MACR), unit journals and diaries, Morning Reports, and others, for virtually any time period that the unit was in action, and other services.

Blog posts or media coverage from some of my past group research projects include:

• The World War 2 Dead of UCLA
• Fresno Veterans Memorial
• The “Tail” of Ascend Charlie
• World War 2 Dead of Downey (California) High School

Please send me the details of your research request by completing the form at the link below. There is no charge to request a quote; I will get in touch with you to discuss your project.

Request a Quote