Before a claim can move, the VA needs proof that Dad served in a way its rules accept. The most common proof is the DD Form 214, the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.[1] Families often assume a copy is in a filing cabinet. When it is not, the claim can stall at the first gate, and nobody in the family may notice for weeks.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Signs you have this problem

Check these before you assume the medical or money questions are the blockers:

No copy of the DD-214 is in the house, and nobody can say where the last one went.

The only copy is a photocopy with pages missing, cut off, or unreadable.

Dad's service dates, branch, or unit are known only from memory or family stories.

The name or spelling on old papers does not match the name on his current documents.

Whoever offered to help has asked for the paper but has not said how they will get it.

What to check on the paper itself

Read the copy you have, not the version you remember. Confirm the full name, branch, dates of active service, and the character of the discharge. The discharge character is one of the points a VA reviewer reads first, so a copy with the wrong detail will cause trouble even if you have a copy.[1] If the paper shows service you do not understand, write down the exact wording and bring it to the next step rather than guessing what it means.

How to request a replacement

Copies of military service records are held by the National Personnel Records Center, and the VA points families to that office for requests.[2] Ask for a copy of the DD-214 itself, not the full personnel file, unless the office tells you the short copy is not available. Dad should sign the request himself if he is able. If he cannot sign, ask the records center which relationship or document lets someone else sign for him, because the answer depends on his situation and the rules are specific.

Read the fee line on any request form before you send money. The request goes to a federal office, so a paid filer is not required for this step. If someone asks you to pay them to submit the request, ask them to show you the official form and the address it goes to first.

While the copy is on its way

Do not let the wait stop the care decision. Care can be arranged on private pay while the claim is pending, and the local options are listed on the St. Louis offices page. If you are not sure which step comes first in the whole process, the reading order lays out the sequence. For how this desk checks its claims, see Sources.

[1] VA.gov, guidance on proof of military service for pension and Aid and Attendance claims.

[2] VA.gov, guidance on requesting copies of military service records.