Records of WWII Family Lost - How To Recover?

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

My Grandfathers brother Walter was in Patton's 3rd Army 71st Infantry and my Grandmother's brother Ellis was in the the 75th Infantry which sustained heavy losses in its first major offensive. Both are gone now.
I have requested their military records, the folks in St Louis responded, "a major fire destroyed most WWII veterans records including those you have requested".
What are my other options to find out more?
Sigh

 

[dhermann1]

That fire happened around 1970 in St Louis and was set by a disgruntled employee. Can you imagine? There may be associations for the different units they were in, you could try that.

 

[I Adore Film Noir]

My Grandfathers brother Walter was in Patton's 3rd Army 71st Infantry and my Grandmother's brother Ellis was in the the 75th Infantry which sustained heavy losses in its first major offensive. Both are gone now.
I have requested their military records, the folks in St Louis responded, "a major fire destroyed most WWII veterans records including those you have requested".
What are my other options to find out more?
Sigh

Go here:

http://www.archives.gov/

My favorite uncle was with Patton's 95th Division. He was wounded and received a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

The Fire

A fire at the NPRC in St. Louis on July 12, 1973, destroyed about 80 percent of the records for Army personnel discharged between November 1, 1912, and January 1, 1960. About 75 percent of the records for Air Force personnel with surnames from "Hubbard" through "Z" discharged between September 25, 1947, and January 1, 1964, were also destroyed.

What Was Lost

It is hard to determine exactly what was lost in the fire, because there were no indices to the blocks of records involved. The records were merely filed in alphabetical order for the following groups:
•World War I: Army September 7, 1939 to November 1, 1912

•World War II: Army December 3l, 1946 to September 8, 1939

•Post World War II: Army December 3l, 1959 to January 1, 1947; Air Force: December 31, 1963 to September 25, 1947

Millions of records, especially medical records, had been withdrawn from all three groups and loaned to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) prior to the fire. The fact that one's records are not in NPRC files at a particular time does not mean the records were destroyed in the fire.

Here is the website for the Veterans Legal Services Program: http://www.nvlsp.org/Information/ArticleLibrary/ServiceRecords/MILREC-1973FIRE-LOSTRECORDS.htm

The Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Personnel_Records_Center_fire

-dixon cannon

 

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

Yes , I will pursue those avenues and let you know how it continues.
Regards and Thank You

 

[Stearmen]

Unfortunately, my fathers were among those destroyed! On his discharge papers, it states he was due the Bronze Star, but with no formal records, the Army is unable to award it.