How to get a DD-214 for a merchant marine veteran

Quick answerU.S. merchant mariners who served in oceangoing service from Dec. 7, 1941, to Dec. 31, 1946, are treated as having been on active duty and can apply for a DD-214 (or a DD-1300 if they died in service) using DD Form 2168.

Who qualifiesFederal law

Oceangoing service between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946 counts as active duty under Public Laws 95-202 and 105-368, as long as the other requirements listed by the Coast Guard are met. For service from August 16, 1945, to December 31, 1946, Public Law 105-368 requires a $30 processing fee per application.

Qualifying period, DD Form 2168, $30 fee for the Aug. 16, 1945–Dec. 31, 1946 period. Source: USCG National Maritime Center – Records Request, checked Oct 29, 2026.

How to apply

Complete DD Form 2168.
Include the mariner’s full name, mariner reference number or SSN, Z-card or MMC book number, date of birth, contact details and any sea service documents.
Deceased mariner: include a certified copy of the death certificate.
Send it to the National Maritime Center, Attn: Correspondence (NMC-41), 100 Forbes Drive, Martinsburg, WV 25404, or by fax or the online record request form. Check the NMC page for current instructions, because WWII records are being transferred to the National Archives in St. Louis.

Where to send, required details, death certificate for a deceased mariner, transfer of records to NARA. Source: USCG NMC – WWII veteran FAQ, checked Oct 29, 2026.

Why it matters

VA lists WWII merchant mariners with qualifying oceangoing service as eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery, and the DD-214 documents that service.

WWII Merchant Mariner burial eligibility. Source: VA – Eligibility for burial, checked Oct 29, 2026.

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