Re: Help on Wm. Edward Prickett

Vicki, I'm a hobbyist and not an expert, but here are a couple of things I found online, and a couple of suggestions on further research:

He is listed in the National Archives WWII Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel as Prickett, Edward W., serial number 14069560, Private, DNB (which is Died, Non-Battle, meaning he was not killed in action or by wounds received in action but, rather, died from some other cause, probably accident or sickness). The first digit in his serial number being a 1 indicates he joined the service, rather than being drafted.

He is listed in the Archives enlistment records. There it says he joined 8 January 1942, and it lists his branch of service as Air Corps. It says he had four years of high school, was a salesman in civilian life, and marital status at the time of enlistment was single without dependants.

You may be able to get his personnel record through the NPRC in St. Louis. (They had a disastrous fire in 1973 which destroyed many records, but it is worth a try.) Info on that resource can be found at this web page:
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/index.htmlhttp://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/index.html

You can also send for his Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF). As others in this forum have addressed, the info found in an IDPF can be graphic. If you pursue this resource, you should be prepared for that possibility. Send your request to:
US Total Army Personnel Command
ATTN: TAPC-PAO (FOIA)
200 Stovall Street
Alexandria, VA 22332-0404
Be sure to cite the Freedom of Information Act in your request.

I believe an IDPF would have been generated even though he was not killed in action, but I am not sure. Perhaps someone with more expertise can give us instruction in that regard, or further elaborate as appropriate.