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

What is in This Collection?
Statement of service index cards of Mississippians who served in the various branches of service in WWI during 1917-1919.The cards may contain name, place of birth and age at time of enlistment, serial number, injuries sustained, discharge date, and other notes. The service cards were  provided for by an act of Congress July 11, 1919. The collection is located at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson.

You can read more about this collection in Susan Goss Johnston, "World War I Statement of Service Cards" NGS Magazine 43 (July-September 2017): 42-45.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The cards may contain:
 * Name
 * Place of birth and age at time of enlistment
 * Race
 * Serial number
 * Branch of service
 * Injuries sustained
 * Discharge date

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The birth date of your ancestor
 * The birth place of your ancestor
 * The division of the military in which your ancestor 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.

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 research your family in the state of Mississippi.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States World War I Research
 * Mississippi Guided Research
 * Mississippi Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Master alphabetical index, world war veterans, Army, 1917-1918
 * Mississippi, World War I Selective Service System draft registration cards, 1917-1918
 * Mississippi, World War I American Expeditionary Forces, deaths, 1917-1919
 * Mississippi, military grave registrations : NARA, RG 60, 1775-1941
 * Mississippi, military records, 1881-1924

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * United States, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
 * United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940
 * United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919
 * United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters, 1916-1939

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Willis Rowland Skillman. The A.E.F : who they were, what they did, how they did it. Philadelphia : G.W. Jacobs, ©1920
 * Army War College (U.S.). Historical Section. Order of battle of the United States land forces in the World War : American expeditionary forces. Divisions Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1931
 * Hermine Scholz ; with accompanying chapter by Richard J. Sommers,  World War I manuscripts : the World War I survey Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania : U.S. Army Military History Institute, 1986

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.