I learned that I could possibly order the complete military records for my grandfather. He fought in the Pacific during World War II as a glider pilot in the Army, later became part of the Air Force, and retired a Captain or Major I think. I have a few photos and some basic outline of his military career. Since my mother passed away, I checked to the National Archives to see if and how I could order my grandfather's records. This is their response:
Thank you for your inquiry. You may download a form SF-180, complete it, and mail it, along with a copy of a record of death or obituary, to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. You can download the form at: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180.html. On the form we suggest that you note that you would like copies of all records in the file.
Please note that a 1973 fire at the records center destroyed a large number of files. Hopefully, your grandfather's records survived.
We hope this information will be of assistance.
Sincerely,
The National Archives at Chicago