United States Military Records

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Introduction
Military records are from times of war and times of peace. They identify individuals who served in the armed forces or who were eligible for service. This set of Wiki pages introduce strategies and records that can help you learn more about your ancestors who served in the United States military. Use these pages to set meaningful research goals, evaluate the likelihood that your ancestor is found in military records, and select the records that will help you achieve your goals. This set of Wiki pages teach terminology and describe the contents, uses, and availability of major sets of records created mostly by the federal government. Use this set of Wiki pages to learn about federal and nationwide sources. The Wiki pages for the separate states have more information about state military records. These Wiki pages discuss only sources that identify personal information about individuals in the armed forces and their units. It does not discuss historical sources about military institutions, weapons, battles, or tactics.

Getting started with United States Military Records research
Use military records to:


 * Find evidence of military or patriotic service
 * Find residence at time of military service or pension
 * Find birth information
 * Find evidence of family relationships
 * Find relatives who served and left clues about my family

If you are just beginning research, you may need some introductory information before using this set of Wiki pages. You may want to see the Wiki article Guide to Research.


 * Getting started
 * Tips for beginners
 * What's the next step?
 * United States Naval Enlistment Rendezvous (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * United States Navy Widows' Certificates (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * United States World War II Fourth Draft Registration Cards (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * When could my ancestor have served?

The Basic Search Strategies page of this set suggests steps you should take to find your ancestors in military records. This section is especially valuable if you are just beginning your research. The Record Selection Table can help you choose types of records to search. The Family History Library's collection is described on that page, and there is also a page explaining how to use the Family History Library Catalog to find specific records.

Research Tools

 * FamilySearch Record Search. Free. Includes (no images), Louisiana War of 1812 Pension Lists (images only), World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 (images only), Vermont Enrolled Militia records, 1861-1867 (images only).
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. Free National Park Service site with a nationwide index to Union and Confederate servicemen, including U.S. Colored Troops (USCT).
 * HeritageQuestOnline. Search selected records from the Revolutionary War era pension and bounty-land warrant application files. This subscription site is also available at selected libraries.
 * Ancestry.com ($) A subscription site with records from most major American wars, including DAR Rolls of Honor, the Civil War Collection, and World War I Draft Registrations. Also includes selected Loyalist and Confederate sources.
 * Footnote.com ($) Subscription site to digitized and indexed National Archives documents including Civil War Service Records, Civil War Widows Pensions, Mormon Battalion Pension Files, Pension Index-Civil War to 1900, Revolutionary War Pensions, Southern Claims Commission, WWI and WWII records.
 * Family History Library, Register of Revolutionary War Records (Salt Lake City: FHL, 2006) Shows National Archives and other sources available through the Family History Library.
 * BYU U.S. Military Records Research Outline largely duplicates these Wiki pages. Includes some bibliographic lists from BYU Library, about 2001.
 * Library of Congress: Veterans History Project
 * National Veterans History Archival Institute

Additional websites for general military research

 * National Archives
 * Cyndi's List U.S. Military Links
 * Mary's Genealogy Treasures
 * See More

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