Washington, Army National Guard Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States  Washington

What Is in the Collection?
These are records of individuals who served in the Army National Guard. They were acquired from the Washington State Archives in Olympia, Washington. The records are arranged in alphabetical order and are generally typed on pre-printed forms. The enlistments took place between the years 1937 and 1952. However, they include individuals born as early as 1880.

The following types of records are included:


 * Enlistment
 * Service and discharge
 * Service and qualification

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The records contain the following details:


 * Name
 * Birth date and place
 * Residence
 * Occupation
 * Race
 * Marital status
 * Citizenship
 * Physical description
 * Education
 * Medical information
 * Enlistment date and place
 * Discharge date, place, and reason
 * Military rank or grade
 * Name, relationship, and address of person to notify in case of emergency

Sample Images
The National Guard, the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation's longest-enduring institutions. The National Guard traces its history back to the earliest English colonies in North America. Responsible for their own defense, the colonists drew on English military tradition and organized their able-bodied male citizens into militias.

In 1903, important national defense legislation increased the role of the National Guard (as the militia was now called) as a Reserve force for the U.S. Army.

The records are designed to track and preserve the service of the individual guardsmen and to determine eligibility for post-service benefits. These records are very reliable.

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search you will need to know at least some of the following:


 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The approximate age of your ancestor.
 * The place where your ancestor lived.
 * The approximate dates of military service.

Compare the information on the image to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if it is the correct family or person. You may need to compare several images before you find your ancestor.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Pagethen ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type, File or Box Number, Date Range" link ⇒Select the appropriate "Name range".

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record at the Washington State Archives (space) Custodian Name.

I Found Who I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Copy the citation below, in case you need to find this record again later.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find county or or Washington Vital Records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records.
 * Search for death or burial information in Washington Cemeteries and Washington Newspapers.
 * Use the information found in the record to find Washington Land and Property.
 * Use the information found in the record to find Washington Probate Records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find Washington Emigration and Immigration.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the Washington Census.   Witnesses were usually family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records were kept years before counties and governments began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching Oregon Vital Records.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching these names as well.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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