Louisiana, Second Registration Draft Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Louisiana

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of draft registration cards arranged numerically by local board number then alphabetically by surname of registrant. The 4x6 cards (SSS-1 forms) cover a special classification of individuals born between 1922 and 1940. The collection was located at the NARA SW region in Forth Worth Texas. For additional information about this collection contact the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. The cards are part of Record Group 147: Records of the Selective Service System,1926-1975. This collection is being published as images become available. In August of 2013, the National Archives replaced the ARC – Archival Research Catalog - with the OPA – Online Public Access. ARC identifiers will still work to access the collections in OPA.

Note: Local Registration Board number assignments appear to be in the alphabetical order of the Parish in which they reside, from Arcadia Parish (LB#1) through Sabine Parish (LB# 53), with larger parishes occupying several boards; Example: Orleans Parish (LB# 39~45).

After the United States entered World War II, a new Selective Service Act required that all men between the ages of 18 and 64 register for the draft. The local draft board of the Selective Service System conducted the registration. The original registration cards were later sent to the regional branch of the National Archives responsible for receiving records from that state

The purpose of this registration was to collect information on the industrial capacity and skills of men who were born between 1922 and 1940. This draft registration was intended to provide a complete inventory of manpower resources in the United States that could be utilized for national service.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Registration cards usually contain the following Information:


 * Name
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace (lists town or county and state or country
 * Residence
 * Mailing address
 * Name and address of the person who will always know the registrant’s address
 * Occupation
 * Employer’s name and address
 * Marital status
 * Physical description
 * Race
 * Any active duty in armed forces
 * Any membership in a reserve unit
 * Name of local board

Sample Image
Click on the image for a larger view.

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the person
 * The name of a parent or date of the event

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the  Select Local Board Number and Surname Range

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Local Registration Board number assignments appear to be in the alphabetical order of the Parish in which they reside, from Arcadia Parish (LB#1) through Sabine Parish (LB# 53), with larger parishes occupying several boards; Example: Orleans Parish (LB# 39~45).
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth to locate church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage and death records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and probate records.*Use the occupation to locate business or employment records.
 * Use the race and residence to locate ethnic and specialized records such as Indian censuses and school records.
 * Use the record to find additional family members in censuses.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. You could get a copy of the original record from the National Archives and Records Administration, Southwest Region, Fort Worth, Texas.
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing this Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation:

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