Archival Research Catalog (ARC)
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Introducing NARAtions: Our blog about online public access to the records of the U.S. National Archives

ARC Progress

ARC Progress ARC is 75% complete at the series level.
More about ARC

Search Links and Hints for the National Personnel Records Center (St. Louis)

The Archival Research Room of the National Archives (NARA) National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the National Archives' Regional Archives. The Archival Research Catalog (ARC) includes descriptions of records held by the Regional Archives. The online catalog allows you to filter your search results by location. The search links and hints below highlight the National Personnel Records Center records available in ARC. The National Personnel Records Center holds official military and Federal civilian employee personnel records.

ARC is a work in progress, and NARA staff add new descriptions to ARC all the time. More than 68% of the Regional Archives records are currently described in ARC at the series level. If you do not find the records you are seeking, please contact the National Personnel Records Center staff.

ARC Search Links

Click on the ARC Search Links below to find ARC search results. For more instructions, see Tips for ARC Search Links.

Limited information from Official Military Personnel Files is releasable to the general public without the consent of the veteran or the next-of-kin. Read more information on requesting military personnel records. Veterans and next-of-kin can now use eVetRecs to order military records online.

Enlistment Records Official Civilian
Personnel Files		 Official Military
Personnel Files

Documents Featuring Notable Civil Servants:

Eliot Ness - Prohibition Agent Eleanor Roosevelt - U.S. Rep. to the United Nations Roy Warren - Civilian Conservation Corps Worker

Official Military Personnel Files of Notable Individuals:

Gregory Boyington - Commander of the Black Sheep Squadron Richard Evelyn Byrd - Navy Aviator and Polar Explorer Benjamin O. Davis - First African American General Edouard Izac
John F. Kennedy - Recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and U.S. President John Kelvin Koelsch - Helicopter Pilot and Medal of Honor Recipient General Douglas MacArthur Douglas A. Munro
Audie Murphy Elvis Presley Alvin C. York  

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Search Hint

To try your own ARC search:

  1. Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/.
  2. Press the yellow Search button to go to the Basic search screen.
  3. Enter one or more keywords in the Keywords box.
  4. Select the limit results radio button for 2000.
  5. (Optional step:) Select the box marked Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies to retrieve digitized documents and photographs.
  6. Select the Location filter for NARA's National Personnel Records Center (Military Operations Branch). (Or, instead, select NARA's National Personnel Records Center (Civilian Personnel Records) or NARA's National Personnel Records Center (Archival Operations Branch). To select more than one location, hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard and click on the locations.)
  7. Press the Go button.
  8. When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link.

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The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272