Oregon, World War I, County Military Service Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains Oregon State Defense Council's Personal Military Service Records for various counties in the state of Oregon. The records are arranged alphabetically by county name, then numerical by the school district and alphabetical by surname. This series documents an individual's military service in Oregon during WWI and used as a basis for medal distribution.

 Related Collection 
 * Oregon, World War I Veteran State Aid Applications, 1921-1938

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records may contain:
 * Name
 * Birth date and place of birth
 * Nationality
 * Occupation before the war
 * Name of wife
 * Number of children
 * Father's name and his date and place of birth
 * Mother's name and her date and place of birth
 * Type of service
 * Date and place they entered the service
 * Release date
 * Nearest relative

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your relative
 * Approximate date they served

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 record, 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. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

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

 * 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
 * Look for a published military unit history
 * 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

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 an index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military units, counties, parishes, etc.)

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Oregon.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records
 * Beginning United States World War I Research
 * Oregon Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1903 | 1900-Present

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.