If you have United States ancestry, it is possible that you have an ancestor or ancestors who served in the United States military. Military records contain important information about your family’s history. Recent conflicts, such as World II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, may even hold personal significance for relatives you know.
Military records can tell you if one of your relatives served in the military and when they served. These records can also give information about that relative, including things like what they looked like, where they were from, their occupation before their military service, and names of close family members. The best part? Many of these records are available for you to search online!
US Military Records: Getting Started
When embarking on any kind of research, start with what you already know. You can use this to piece together what you don't know.
If you already know that one of your close relatives or ancestors served in the military, chances are that the information you seek could be hiding in your grandma's attic or even in your uncle's basement. Ask around your extended family to see if anyone has letters, photographs, discharge papers, medals, clothing, or other documents and memorabilia related to the relative's military service. With information from family documents, try to make a list of all the information you do know about the soldier. This could include the following:
- Birth date
- Birthplace
- Residences (at time of the draft and enlistment, or during a given war in general)
- Enlistment date
- Discharge date
- Dates of service
- Location of military service
- Family members whom they may have given as an emergency contact
- Family members of the soldier who could have received a pension (spouse, parents, or children)
Making a list of what you already know will help you figure out what you want to find out. Once you have gleaned as much as you can from existing family documents, you are ready to start searching for specific types of military records. As you find military records, keep an eye out for the name of the military unit, commanding officer, rank, dates of enlistment, and discharge or date of death. This information will help identify your ancestor in additional records and create a time line of military service.
If you have very little information to start with, you can try using this search to see if your relative's name appears among the indexed military records available on FamilySearch.
Types of US Military Records
There are many different types of US military records, and each can provide a peek into your ancestor’s military service. Some military records are created before and during service. Others are created after service. Some military records, including draft cards, may mention relatives who did not actually serve. If you’re new to searching military records, knowing a little about each type can help your search.
There are many types of military records, including the following:
- Draft, conscription, and selective service records
- Pension records
- Cemetery records
- Service records
- Muster rolls
- Pay rolls
- Regimental and company descriptive rolls
- Prisoner of war records
- Bounty land warrants
In this article, we will explore 3 record types that may be good starting points for discovering your ancestors' connection with the US military.
1. Draft Registrations
Draft registrations are especially important in family history research for World War I (1917–1918) and World War II (1940–1945). Most of those serving in uniform during these wars were inducted or drafted. One thing to keep in mind is that not everyone who registered was actually drafted. Additional research will be needed to determine if there was military service. However, even if your ancestor did not serve in the military, their draft card can still give you valuable information about them, including birth date, address, and even physical descriptions like eye and hair color.
During World War I, 24 million men between the ages of 18 and 45 registered with the Selective Service. The registration cards for each US state and territory have been indexed and are available on FamilySearch.
In World War II, 50 million men registered with the Selective Service. The draft was conducted in 6 registrations between 1940 and 1943. Men born between 1877 and 1900 fell into the age requirements for the draft for both World War I and World War II, so they may have draft records from both wars! For World War II, the draft records were kept by the state, so each state has its own record collection of draft registration cards on FamilySearch. This FamilySearch wiki article includes a complete list of links to all of the WWII draft card collections available to search on FamilySearch.
Note that during the Civil War, there was a draft for the Union Army. Those enrollment records are at the National Archives and have been published on Ancestry.com.
2. Pension Files
When a soldier died in battle, a dependent, such as a wife or elderly parent, would often apply for a pension. The information required for these applications—such as the date of marriage and the names of minor children—make them a wealth of information.
Pension records are usually the best military record for family information if the soldier or veteran was deceased. Most other military records have only information about the soldier. Check out this FamilySearch wiki article for more in-depth information about US pension records.
3. Cemetery Records
Cemetery records for military personnel include applications for headstones, which were supplied at government expense. They also include interment or burial records at national cemeteries and state veteran cemeteries. For soldiers buried overseas, the American Battle Monuments Commission has an online searchable database.
FamilySearch has 2 main record collections for military cemetery records. One is for the period 1925–1949, and the other is for 1879–1903.
Where to Find United States Military Records
Most United States military records can be found online, at historical societies, or ordered from national or state archives. However, note that the United States military records have a 62-year rule; records from less than 62 years ago are not available to the public. If you are looking for information on a recently deceased ancestor, know ahead of time that what you receive may be limited. Unless you are the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the veteran, then you won’t be granted full access to the entire military record. However, what you find can still be very helpful!
Check out these articles from the FamilySearch Wiki for more advice on finding US military records:
- Beginning Research in United States Military Records
- Military Records Tips for Beginners
- United States Military Basic Search Strategies
- United States Military Online Genealogy Records
- Ages of Servicemen in Wars
Military records have a unique quality that sets them apart from other historical records. These documents represent the heavy sacrifices your ancestors made on behalf of their country. What better way to honor that sacrifice than by learning more about these ancestors and carrying their legacy forward? Try searching for your ancestor in US military records!
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