Hey Marian,
I sent a letter to my local VA this morning as you suggested. The NARA intrigues me too. The information you received sounds like the very type thing I would like to have. I know from looking at some of the info you've posted on your dad that my dad had to have been nearby. They weren't in the same unit obviously but the same neighborhood certainly.
Any suggestions as to what I need to request from NARA other than the things you mentioned in your post? Especially since I'm not sure exactly what unit my dad was in, say for instance, when he was in North Africa. All I know for certain is the unit he was in at the end of the war and that's the one that started this thread.
As I mentioned in one of my earlier messages, I think, dad said his unit had it's name/designation changed several times so the ending name is all I know of for sure. That is certainly one of the reasons I'm trying for the medical records, if they exist, so I might be able to find out some other unit designations. Of course, I suppose it's always possible that the NARA will have something on the one unit I know for sure and that might leave a trail for me to follow from end to beginning so to speak.
One other question too. When I request the info from NARA do they send me a notification of what they have found and how much it will cost? I think the answer is yes based upon some of the information I've read on your site but I thought I'd ask. Seems like I read that you or someone else hired someone to go to NARA and copy vast quantities of information.
I'll keep plugging along and keep you posted on my progress.
Larry