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US Marine Casualty Cards


Earlier this week I got my copy of Family Tree Magazine and I was reading an article that led me to World War II History Network and from there I found a link to an article about the United States Marine Corp making their casualty cards searchable.  You can find the database at Casualty Cards Database.

Fred Thomas, my husbands great uncle, was in WWII and in the Marines.  I searched the database and found :


On the first page it states : While the cards for World War II through Korea are not classified, however, they can often be very graphic.  Therefore, to maintain the dignity and honor of the Marines, the individual cards will only be released, upon request, on a case by case basis.  To request a card, please send an email to history.division@usmc.mil or a request in writting to:
United States Marine Corps History Division
Attn: Reference Branch
3078 Upshur Avenue
Quantico, Virginia 22134.   

I immediately sent an email {about 12:30 am because I don't sleep} requesting more information and did not really think much more about it.  The next morning I had an email with the images attached!!!  I almost deleted it because I did not recognize the email address...so glad I did not!!  There was a pdf file attached and it included 5 pages of card images for Fred Thomas.



On the card that has his death information on it does not say what kind of wound he died from, instead there is the number 8-46-001.  Now I am on a mission to find out what this code means.

Clicking around the internet and reading all there is about genealogy is a wonderful thing!!
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