North Carolina, World War I Service Cards,1917-1919 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes an index and images of statement of service cards for the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard, which was provided for by an act of Congress July 11, 1919. The collection is located at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh.

Related Digital Book

 * J. R. Graham. Tar-heel War Record. in the Great War. Charlotte, N.C.: World War Publishing Company,1921

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
The service cards can provide the following information:
 * Date of Enlistment
 * Name
 * Place of Residence
 * Home Address
 * Date of Birth
 * Place of Birth
 * Military Service
 * Age at time of enlistment

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The age of your ancestor.
 * The years your ancestor served in the military.
 * The names of family members and their relationships.

Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page: Fill in the requested information in 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 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.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Branch of Service" ⇒Select the appropriate "Surname Range" 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. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. 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.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s service card, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family.

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

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the soldier's age and location of the military unit to find his family in census, church, and land records.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for a different index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

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:

"North Carolina, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing The North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh.

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