I wrote specifically to the National Archives (NARA) about Coast Guard rosters and this is their response:
Response to your inquiry re: Electronic and Special Media Records Services Division of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). You are seeking assistance in your research for the United States Coast Guard personnel roster for your grandfather, John Edward Pelton and your uncle's Donald Pelton.
You may wish to contact the NARA Textual Archives Services Division, Old Military and Civil Records (NWCT1R) for possible paper records. You may contact this unit via e-mail at
archives1reference@nara.gov or you may write to the Old Military and Civil Records (NWCT1R), Textual Archives Services Division, National Archives Bldg., 7th and Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20408. Please be sure to include a surface mail address for response. They may also be reached by telephone at 202-357-5287.
You may find helpful information contained within "Coast Guard Personnel a Historical: Bibliography of Sources" at
http://www.uscg.mil/history/uscghist/uscgpersonnelbib.pdf, as well as information at
http://www.uscg.mil/history/CoastGuardPeople.asp.
You may also wish to contact the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), Military Personnel Records Division, 9700 Page Blvd., St. Louis MO 63132 to request a copy of Military Records. The NPRC home page is
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/; the e-mail address is
mpr.center@nara.gov. There you may find information about military service records, unit rosters and morning reports under Location of Military Service Records, Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF). If NPRC has custody of relevant personnel files, an SF-180, Request for Military Records, will be necessary to obtain the files. An online version of the SF-180 can be found through the NPRC home page at
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/st.... Certain basic information is needed to locate military service records. This informa-tion includes the veteran's complete name used while in service, service number or social security number, branch of service, and dates of service. Date and place of birth may also be helpful, especially if the service number is not known.
We hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions about the Electronic and Special Media Records Services Division, please contact us. Our e-mail address is
cer@nara.gov and our telephone number is (301) 837-0470.