Louisiana, World War I Service Records, 1917-1920 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of an index and images of enlistment or induction records from World War I for the years 1917 to 1920. The collection is arranged alphabetically by parish name and is located at the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Service Records
 * Soldier’s name
 * Birth date and place
 * Enlistment or Induction date and place
 * Age
 * Estimated birth year
 * Residence parish, city, and state

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person
 * The name of a relative
 * The birth date of the soldier

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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information and to find additional information.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the names, age and residence to find census records including the 1910 and 1920 census. The 1930 also identifies World War I veterans.
 * Look for discharge records. Many veterans registered their discharges at the local county courthouse.
 * Look for membership applications at the local American Legion Post.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Look for a published military unit history.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Louisiana.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States World War I Research
 * Louisiana Guided Research
 * Louisiana Record Finder
 * Louisiana Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Louisiana Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Louisiana World War I service records, 1917-1920
 * Louisiana National Guard. Muster in rolls, 1916
 * Louisiana National Guard records, 1717-1955 Includes: Muster-out rolls, Mexican Border, 1916; muster-in rolls, World War, 1916-1917;Draft rolls, World War, 1917

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
 * United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940
 * United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919
 * United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters, 1916-1939

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Willis Rowland Skillman. The A.E.F : who they were, what they did, how they did it. Philadelphia : G.W. Jacobs, ©1920
 * Army War College (U.S.). Historical Section. Order of battle of the United States land forces in the World War : American expeditionary forces. Divisions Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1931
 * Hermine Scholz ; with accompanying chapter by Richard J. Sommers,  World War I manuscripts : the World War I survey Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania : U.S. Army Military History Institute, 1986


 * Inventory of the records of world war emergency activities in Louisiana, 1916-1920

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.