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.


 * Susan Goss Johnston " World War I Statement of Service Cards" NGS Magazine 43 (July-September 2017): 42-45

Related Digital Book

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

What Can These Records 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?
Before searching this collection, 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

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Branch of Service
 * 2) Select the Surname Range to view the images.

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?
When you have located your ancestor’s service card, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details.

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
 * Consult the North Carolina Record Finder to find other 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:

"North Carolina, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919." Database and images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2018. Citing The North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh.

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