NPRC JW 8.7.23

To Whom It May Concern:

You are receiving this correspondence as a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552. I am requesting the following:

All publicly releasable military and civilian records for Louis Jolyon West (October 6, 1924 – January 2, 1999). Mr. West's social security number was 395-16-2395. He served in the United States Air Force (USAF) between approximately 1948 and 1956, and worked as a civilian contractor at the 3700th USAF Hospital at the Lackland Air Force Base after that. Therefore, I am requesting the following information from Mr. West's Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) and his Official Personnel Folder (OPF). This information includes, but is not limited to:

• Name

• Service Number

• Certificate of Release/Discharge Papers, aka DD form 214

• Dates of Service

• Branch of Service

• Final Duty Status

• Final Rank

• Salary

• Assignments and Geographical Locations

• Source of Commission

• Military Education Level

• Awards and decorations

• Civilian positions

• Civilian titles

• Civilian salaries

• Civilian grades

• Civilian job locations

If any potentially responsive records have been destroyed and/or transferred, then I request copies of the destruction or transfer slips as well as any other documentation relating to, mentioning or describing said transfer or destruction, to include but not be limited to confirmation that the National Personnel Records Center has no other copies of said records.

You will find as an attachment a copy of Mr. West's obituary from the The New York Times, published on January 9, 1999.

I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. My bylines, which include Creem Magazine, Covert Action Magazine, and the Geopolitical Economy Report, can be found in both print and electronic publications. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.

A fee waiver is appropriate in situations where "disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government, and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester,” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(iii). Mr. West, per the attached obituary, was a figure of considerable public interest. He worked for the government, both during his time in the USAF and as a civilian contractor, during the Korean War, on research related to the alleged brainwashing of American prisoners-of-war, by Korean, Soviet, and Chinese officials. Mr. West's OMPF and OPF would help provide the public with a better understanding of military and civilian-guided research on this subject during the Korean War.

This request is not being made for commercial purposes. All documents will be provided to the general public without charge.

In the event that there are fees, I am willing to pay up to $250. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as the statute requires. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am following up on a request sent under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552, on August 8, 2023. I have not received a response identifying a request number and thus cannot provide that information at this time.

In my original request, attached, I asked for the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) and Official Personnel Folder (OPF) for Louis Jolyon West (October 6, 1924 – January 2, 1999; SSN 395-16-2395). Mr. West served in the United States Air Force (USAF) between approximately 1948 and 1956 and worked as a civilian contractor for the USAF at the 3700th USAF Hospital at the Lackland Air Force Base after that. I am reproducing a copy of the New York Times obituary I attached to the original request.

By law, 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(i), agencies are required to make a determination within 20 working days of a request. Given that the request was sent on August 8th, at least 49 working days have passed as of the date of the correspondence and as such, I am requesting an update on the status of my request. This includes both a request number and time frame for processing.

I am also renewing my request for a fee waiver. I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. My bylines, which include Unicorn Riot, the Geopolitical Economy Report, and Creem Magazine, can be found in both print and electronic publications. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.

A fee waiver is appropriate in situations where "disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government, and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester,” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(iii). Mr. West, per the attached obituary, was a figure of considerable public interest. He worked for the government, both during his time in the USAF and as a civilian contractor, during the Korean War, on research related to the alleged brainwashing of American prisoners-of-war by Korean, Soviet, and Chinese officials. Mr. West's OMPF and OPF would help provide the public with a better understanding of military and civilian-guided research on this subject during the Korean War.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.