The American Legion does not have military service records. For that you need to apply, with as much information as you know, to:

National Personnel Records Center Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Further information about access to military service records is available at:
www.archives.gov/veterans/index.html
www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/index.html

With access to a printer and Adobe Acrobat Reader software, you may download and print a copy of the Standard Form 180 – Request Pertaining to Military Records at:
www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/standard-form-180.html

The following is from the National Archives and Records Administration:

Services for Veterans, Next-of-Kin or the Veteran’s Representative General. Copies of most military and medical records on file at NPRC (MPR), including the DD Form 214, Report of Separation (or equivalent), can be made available upon request. Veterans and next of kin of deceased veterans have the same rights to full access to the record. Next of kin are the unremarried widow or widower, son or daughter, father or mother, or brother or sister of the deceased veteran.

Authorized third-party requesters, e.g., lawyers, doctors, historians, etc., may submit requests for information from individual records with the veteran’s (or next of kin’s) signed and dated authorization. All authorizations should specify exactly what the veteran (or next of kin) is allowing to be released to a third party. Authorizations are valid one year from date of signature.

Information or copies of documents may be released from Official Military Personnel Files within the provisions of the law. The Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act provide balance between the public’s right to obtain information from military service records and the right of the former military servicemembers to protect their privacy. Please review these items for additional information. In all cases, you must sufficiently identify the person whose record is requested, so that the records can be located with reasonable effort.

Preparing Requests for Information from Official Military Personnel Files. Federal law [5 U.S. Code 552a(b)] requires that all requests for records and information be submitted in writing. Each request must be signed in cursive and dated within the last year. For this reason, no requests will be accepted over the Internet.

Requests must contain enough information to identify the record among more than 70 million on file at NPRC (MPR). Certain basic information is needed to locate military service records. This information includes the veteran’s complete name used while in service, service number or Social Security number, branch of service and dates of service. Date and birthplace may also be helpful, especially if the service number is not known. If the request pertains to a record that may have been involved in the 1973 fire at NPRC (MPR), include place of discharge, last unit of assignment, and place of entry into the service, if known. Veterans who plan to file a claim for medical benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs do not need to request a copy of their military health record from NPRC (MPR). The original health records are provided by the center when requested by VA after the claim is filed. Many health records were lent to VA prior to the 1973 fire.

Veterans who filed a claim prior to 1973 should contact VA in order to determine if their records are already on file. VA’s toll free number is (800) 827-1000 and will connect the caller to the nearest VA office.

The Standard Form 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records, although not mandatory, is the recommended method to send a request for military service information. This form captures all the necessary information to locate a record. Provide as much information on the form as possible and send copies of any service documents you have. Requests may also be submitted as a letter, containing the basic information listed above.

Follow the instructions for preparing the SF 180. Check the table to determine the location of the record and submit your request to the appropriate address.

Note: Do not use the addresses on the SF 180 for sending requests related to the issuance or replacement of medals and awards.

Costs: Generally there is no charge for military personnel and health record information provided to veterans, next of kin and authorized representatives. If your request involves a service fee, you will be notified as soon as that determination is made.

Response Times: Response time varies dependent upon the complexity of your request, the availability of records and our workload. Please do not send a follow-up request before 90 days have elapsed, as it may cause further delays.