Arkansas First Draft Registration Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Arkansas 

What is in the Collection?
This collection consists of index and images of draft registration cards (SSS-1 forms) covering a special classification of individuals born between 1897 and 1928.The collection was located at the NARA SW region in Fort 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. Currently, the index records for this collection are incomplete. Additional records will be added as they are completed.

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.

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: National Personnel Records Center

Sample Images
The records usually include:


 * Full name of draftee
 * Residence at time of registration
 * Age at registration
 * Date and place of birth
 * Citizenship of country
 * Name of wife, father or mother
 * Residence of that person
 * Employer's name
 * Employer's place of business
 * Signature of Registrant
 * Name of person who will always know your address - this is often a spouse or relative
 * Description of your ancestor &amp; their signature (on the back of the card)

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name and surname of the person
 * Other identifying information such as the place of registration or the names of the parents or spouse

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Surname Range" category which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article [FamilySearch Tips and Tricks].

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

What If I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby states.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals who may be related to your ancestor

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Selective Service Records
 * NARA at St. Louis Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF)
 * NARA at St. Louis National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
 * NARA World War II List of Dead and Missing

Related Wiki Articles

 * Arkansas Genealogy
 * United States World War II Draft Records
 * Arkansas Military Records

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: