The
National
Personnel Records Center in St Louis is a repository of
civilian and
military personnel records. This Saturday, June 11
nearly 1.2 million official military personnel files of
former US Navy and Marine Corps enlisted personnel who served
between 1885 and 1939 will be open to the public. This first
opening also includes 150 "persons of exceptional prominence",
including former Presidents, famous military leaders, celebrities,
entertainers and professional athletes who served in the military
and have been deceased for at least 10 years.
Some of the prominent individuals include Charles Lindbergh,
President John F. Kennedy, General George S. Patton, Steve McQueen,
Clark Gable, and Jackie Robinson.
Lindbergh, Patton, Gable and Robinson were all Army, so I don't
know why the NPRC press release limits the records mentioned to the
Navy and Marine Corps. All of these celebrities were officers as
well, and that makes the wording 'official military personnel files
of ... enlisted personnel' odd. Lindbergh resigned his commission
in 1939. Ike restored it and made him an Air Force Reserve
brigadier general. At first, the Army denied Robinson's application
for Officer's Candidate School, but when then-Army Sgt Joe Louis
weighed in, Robinson entered the school and got his commission.
Gable enlised in the Army Air Corps and also went to OCS,
eventually making major on discharge.
Hat tip to
Professional Reading Shelf - Military Personnel Records at the
ResourceShelf.