Have you found him in the Social Security Death Index? You can search by social security number since you have it. I ask because there is a standardized request letter there if you click on the SS-5 link. If you find him, click on the link and the letter comes up with his name and number already filled in.

This is the link to the free index at Rootsweb
http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/

If you don't find him there, find someone else (anybody!!), copy the letter and substitute the appropriate information for him. For example, my mother is not in the SSDI, but I found her name in a state index, so I used that standard letter, filled in her info and substituted the name of that index for the SSDI mentioned in the letter.

toot