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The General Assembly created the Service Recognition Board in 1946 to provide compensation to World War II veterans or their survivors. The board consisted of the Governor, the State Treasurer, and the Adjutant General (L. 1946, p. 2). A bond issue for the financing of bonus payments was approved in 1946 and the General Assembly appropriated funds for the payments in 1947 (L. 1947, p. 27). Monies for bonus payments were held by the State Treasurer in the Illinois Soldiers' Compensation Fund and the Service Recognition Board Interest and Retirement Fund. The board was empowered to make general regulations regarding eligibility and established the Board of Review to examine doubtful claims. Claims offices operated in Chicago and Springfield.
The General Assembly abolished the Service Recognition Board in 1953 and instructed the Adjutant General to deposit all its books, records, and documents at the State Archives. Any eligible person who had not made a claim by the closing date had to file a request for payment with the Court of Claims (L. 1953, p. 177).
However, in 1973 the General Assembly reopened the World War II bonus payments and placed the administration of this program under the Illinois Veterans' Commission (P.A. 78-300, pp. 1009-1010). These new bonus records and correspondence currently are held by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, created in 1975 as the successor to the Illinois Veterans' Commission (P.A. 79-376, pp. 1388-1391).
Access to these records is restricted according to the provisions of L. 1953, p. 177 and the Freedom of Information Act (P.A. 83-1013).
504.001
MINUTES OF BOARD MEETINGS. 1947-1948. 2 vols. No index.
Minutes of meetings of the Service Recognition Board include date, time, and place of the meeting; names of members present and absent; and a record of board actions. Also included is a certificate providing for the issuance and sale of $300 million in Service Recognition Bonds (Series A) by the State of Illinois and a description of the proposed bonus program and administrative procedures.
504.002
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS. 1946-1953. 9 vols. and 5 cu. ft. No index.
Administrative records of the board include minutes of the first board meeting; budget reports (1947-1953); director's final report which outlines all board activities and expenditures (1947-1952); statistical reports from the Board of Review; personnel manuals and guidelines; a manual of microfilm procedures to be used in filming bonus applications and a listing, by reel and claim numbers, of all applications filmed for security purposes (RS 504.003); photographs of board members; copies of legislation concerning the creation, funding, and operation of the Service Recognition Boards for World War I and World War II; copies of bonus application forms; interoffice memoranda, directives, and bulletins issued by the Department of Finance; and correspondence concerning the transfer of board records to the State Archives along with an inventory of the records transferred.
504.003
WORLD WAR II BONUS APPLICATIONS FROM VETERANS. 1947-1953. 1,589 microfilm rolls. Index (RS 504.006).
Veterans' applications were for bonus payments approved by the Service Recognition Board. Files are arranged numerically by claim number and contain applications for bonus payment, proofs of payment (warrant receipts), and proofs of service (early files only).
Each bonus application includes claim number, veteran's name, service serial number, mailing address at time of application, place and date of birth, and residence prior to entry into service; whether absent from Illinois for any part of year prior to entry into service and purpose of any absence; place and date of entry into service; membership, if any, in reserve forces; place of registration with Selective Service; reason for not registering in Illinois, if applicable; place and date of discharge from service; place listed for travel pay after separation; place of voting and paying any poll or personal property tax prior to service; names and addresses of spouse, parents, guardian, and employer at time of entry into service; if student, name of school enrolled in; total length of active service, both domestic and foreign; whether or not veteran received civilian pay for work done while in service; if so, name of employer; name of agency if employment was with the federal government; whether or not applicant applied to another state for a World War II bonus; if so, name of state, disposition of claim, and reason for denial, if denied; whether or not applicant assigned claim to any other person; and signature of applicant.
If the case file contains a service record, it shows veteran's name, service serial number, rank, military unit, date of separation from service, type of discharge, mailing address, date and place of birth, physical description, military history including decorations, immunization record, special training, reason for separation from the service, signature, and right thumb print.
504.004
WORLD WAR II BONUS APPLICATIONS FROM BENEFICIARIES OF DECEASED VETERANS. 1947-1953. 290 cu. ft. Index (RS 504.006).
Beneficiary applications for World War II bonus payments were submitted to the Service Recognition Board or the Board of Review. Files are arranged numerically by claim number and contain applications for bonus, proofs of payment, and proofs of veterans' deaths.
Each bonus application includes claim number; name of beneficiary and relationship to veteran; veteran's name and service serial number; residence prior to entry into service; date and place of entry into service; whether veteran absent from Illinois during any part of year prior to entry into service, and if so, reason for absence; names and addresses of veteran's spouse, children, and parents; whether veteran or beneficiary applied for or received bonus payment from any other state; and signature and address of beneficiary. All applications are accompanied by affidavits from two people who knew both veteran and beneficiary, copies of veteran's birth and death certificates, and occasional correspondence with beneficiary concerning claim.
Forms for beneficiaries of veterans who died non-service-related deaths additionally include place and date of veteran's discharge from service; place listed for travel pay after separation from service; names and addresses of spouse or parents and employer at time of entry into service; if student, name of school enrolled in; place of voting and paying any poll or personal property tax prior to entry into service; total length of active service, both foreign and domestic; date, place, and circumstances surrounding death of veteran; names, birth dates, and addresses of any brothers or sisters of veteran; whether veteran made a service allotment and the name of the recipient of allotment; if veteran had war-risk insurance, name of beneficiary; place and date of any legal separation from spouse; names and addresses of any children of veteran; places and dates of death of any veteran's children; and places and dates of death of veteran's parents. If beneficiary claim was referred to the Board of Review, any board action would be noted in case file.
504.005
BONUS APPLICATIONS FROM VETERANS REFERRED TO THE BOARD OF REVIEW. 1947-1953. 250 cu. ft. Index (RS 504.006).
World War II bonus applications from veterans were referred to the Board of Review for a decision. These files are arranged numerically by claim number and contain bonus applications from veterans. Information given on these forms is described in RS 504.003.
Files also include correspondence with veteran; proof of payment, if made; and a copy of the veteran's service record which shows veteran's name, service serial number, rank, military unit, date of separation, type of discharge, mailing address, date and place of birth, physical description, military history (including decorations), immunization record, special training, and reason for separation from service. Board of Review action is noted in each case file.
504.006
ABSTRACT OF WORLD WAR II BONUS APPLICATIONS. 1947-1953. 98 cu. ft.
Card file is an abstract of information contained in World War II bonus application files. File is arranged alphabetically by applicant's surname and serves as an index to applications listed in RS 504.003, RS 504.004, and RS 504.005.
An index card for each bonus application includes name of veteran or beneficiary; claim number; applicant's address and county; veteran's address at time of entry into service; branch of service; service serial number; whether enlisted personnel or officer; date service began; place of entry into service; date and place of separation from service; type of separation; total length of active service, both foreign and domestic; type of proof of service submitted by applicant; dates examined and certified for payment; amount of payment; whether claim approved or disapproved; and initials of examiner.
504.007
BOARD OF REVIEW ACTIONS ON QUESTIONABLE CLAIMS. 1948-1952. 5 vols. No index.
Board of Review's record is of actions taken on questionable claims for payment of the World War II bonus. Entries are arranged numerically by the Board of Review number and include classification of claim, name of applicant, claim number, date review was requested, name of person reviewing the claim, date of review, board action taken on claim, and date. Board action noted on case files in RS 504.005.
Reasons for disallowing claims included non-residence in Illinois, service discharge other than honorable, less than sixty days service, entry into service after September 2, 1945, and service in the merchant marine or for a foreign government.
504.008
BOARD OF REVIEW REPORTS. 1949-1952. 0.1 cu. ft. No index.
Monthly reports submitted by the Board of Review on cases handled include number of cases requested for review, number allowed, number disallowed, and expenditure reports for the board. File also includes letters from board members informing the director of their resignations because of the completion of their work.
504.009
REGISTER OF BONUS CLAIMS NUMBERS. 1947-1953. 20 vols. No index.
Register is of claim numbers assigned to bonus applicants (i.e., veterans, their beneficiaries). Each claim number is listed sequentially along with number of warrant issued by Auditor. Register occasionally notes that claim was disapproved, open, paid, or canceled.
504.010
SCHEDULES OF VOUCHERS FOR WORLD WAR II BONUS PAYMENTS. 1947-1953. 4 vols. No index.
Schedules are for the vouchers transmitted from the Service Recognition Board to the Auditor of Public Accounts for payment of bonus claims. These schedules are arranged numerically by the Auditor's warrant number and chronologically by the mailing date. Entries include date schedule was transmitted, appropriation payable from, Auditor's warrant number, voucher number, amount of vouchers, total amount of vouchers from preceding schedules, total amount appropriated, amount of vouchers to date, balance, and the date payment mailed to claimant.
For vouchers forwarded to the Auditor see RS 105.019.
504.011
PAYMENTS FROM ILLINOIS SOLDIERS' COMPENSATION FUND. 1947-1953. 2 vols. and 0.1 cu. ft. No index.
Voucher records from payments issued by the Service Recognition Board from the Illinois Soldiers' Compensation Fund include date, warrant number, voucher number, amount of voucher, total amount of vouchers to date, fund balance, and totals to date from Springfield and Chicago offices. Also included are records of warrant reversions arising from overpayments, refund errors, and duplicate payments.
504.012
RECORD OF MONIES RETURNED TO SERVICE RECOGNITION BOARD. 1947-1953. 1 vol. No index.
Chronological record is of bonus payment monies returned to the board and redeposited with the State Treasurer. Entries include voucher, claim, and warrant numbers; date of warrant; name of claimant; amount of redeposit and total redeposits to date; date sent to Auditor of Public Accounts; date of State Treasurer's receipt; receipt order number; reason for refund; and amount of refund. Some of the reasons for refund were duplication, overpayment,
recomputation, wrong claim, change of name, and payee deceased.
504.013
STATEMENT OF APPROPRIATIONS, EXPENDITURES, ENCUMBRANCES, AND BALANCES. 1947-1953. 2 vols. No index.
Record of transactions and balances for financial accounts of the Service Recognition Board includes account number, voucher totals for charges against allotments, total amount of appropriations, amount of allotments to date, unallotted balance of appropriations, unencumbered balances of allotments, and unexpended balance of appropriations.
504.014
STATISTICAL REPORTS ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF BONUS PAYMENTS. June 1947-June 1953. 3 vols. and 0.1 cu. ft. No index.
Statistical reports were prepared at various times to show the total amount of money disbursed or the total number of veterans in each city, county, or state who received Illinois bonus payments. Reports in varying formats show total claims paid in each unit of government (i.e., city, county, state); number of claims paid for service in the army, navy or Marine Corps; amount paid for domestic service; and amount paid for foreign service. Totals for all units generally are listed at the end of each report.
504.015
BONUSES OFFERED BY OTHER STATES. 1949-1952. 0.5 cu. ft. No index.
File is on bonus programs for World War II veterans established by other states. Included are forms used, statements of amounts of monies appropriated for other state bonus payments, and correspondence requesting other states' forms together with a description of Illinois procedures.
504.016
CORRESPONDENCE WITH ILLINOIS VETERANS IN OTHER STATES. 1951-1953. 1 cu. ft. No index.
File contains correspondence with Illinois veterans living out of state concerning the payment of the Illinois bonus.
504.017
CORRESPONDENCE ON PAID CLAIMS. 1951-1953. 0.5 cu. ft. No index.
Letters concern applications for veterans' bonuses that had already been paid. File also contains copies of letters sent to veterans or beneficiaries by the board stating that the claims in question previously had been paid.
504.018
CORRESPONDENCE ON KOREAN WAR BONUS PAYMENTS. 1951-1953. 0.1 cu. ft. No index.
File includes letters from Korean War veterans asking for a payment by the State of Illinois for service in Korea and copies of return letters from the board stating that they were paying a bonus only for service in World War II between the dates of September 16, 1940 and September 3, 1945 and that there was no provision as yet for a Korean bonus.
504.019
REQUEST FORMS FOR RETURN OF DISCHARGE OR SEPARATION PAPERS. 1951-1952. 0.1 cu. ft. No index.
Carbon copies are of form letters used by the secretary of the Service Recognition Board to direct clerks to return proof of service documents to veterans after claims had been settled. Request form includes date, name of veteran, current address, service serial number, and bonus claim number.
504.020
INQUIRIES FROM THE ILLINOIS PUBLIC AID COMMISSION AND THE COOK COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF WELFARE. 1949-1952. 0.1 cu. ft. No index.
Letters of inquiry by caseworkers from the various public aid offices and the Cook County Department of Welfare concern the payment of veterans' claims. Most of these inquiries originated with divorced wives of veterans who were attempting to collect the bonus to supplement their child support. Most inquiries contain veteran's name, service serial number, and last known address.
504.021
PERSONNEL RECORDS. 1947-1952. 6 cu. ft. No index.
Personnel files are of employees of the Service Recognition Board. Most employees were veterans or related to veterans. Each file contains an application form which lists applicant's name, county of residence, home and present addresses, telephone number, birth date, and marital status; war in which applicant served, dates of service, rank, and unit or relationship to veteran; description of educational background and prior work experience including dates of employment, names of firms, position titles, and salaries; types of business machines applicant can operate; type of work desired and work location preferred (i.e., Chicago, Springfield); names of organizations applicant belongs to; name of person who recommended applicant; and names, addresses, and telephone numbers of references.
504.022
PAYROLL VOUCHERS AND SCHEDULES. 1947-1953. 2 vols. and 0.1 cu. ft. No index.
Payroll vouchers are for board employees (1947-1951) and for employees of the Adjutant General who worked for the board (1951-1953). These vouchers show warrant number; payroll fund code and appropriation code numbers; employee's name, identification number, and position classification; amount of time worked; monthly pay rate; gross amount earned; amount withheld for tax and retirement; amount of warrant; gross amount earned to date; and gross amounts withheld for taxes and retirement.
These records are available at the Illinois State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State.
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