Beginning United States World War I Research



Begin your research by looking for a discharge certificate, a picture of your ancestor or relative in uniform a victory or service medal or any other record that identifies military service. Other sources include a cemetery tombstone which may also include the military unit, an obituary or evidence of membership in a local American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars Post (VFW). A local war memorial might a include the names of the men and women who served or died in the war. Contact other relatives who might have information about possible service. The majority of the men that served in the armed forces were born between 1873 and 1900.

The men that did serve could have enlisted in the Regular Army or the National Guard. Most however were drafted through the Selective Service.The Selective Service Draft Registration Cards have been indexed and are available on FamilySearch.

Local libraries, historical societies and state archives may also have World War records including unit histories or enlistment records. The National Archives will have additional records of the American Expeditionary Forces.

Number of Soldiers Serving by Age from April 1, 1917 - December 31, 1919
Source:The Medical Department of the United State Army in the World War V. 15, Pt 2 Statistics Washington, DC: GPO, 1921. Page 25, Table 6, Strength by Age....; Estimated from ages furnished by 3,683,133 applicants for War Risk Insurance.

Related Websites

 * Documenting Doughboys
 * WW I Genealogical Research Resources
 * Constance Potter. Getting Started with WWI Genealogical Research
 * Researching Individuals in WW I Records NARA

Reference

 * Patricia A. Case. "Don't Let Your Twentieth Century Veterans Fade Away" The Genealogical Helper (Jan-Feb., 1987): 15-18
 * Edward A Gutierrez.. Doughboys on the Great War. How American Soldiers Viewed Their Military Experiences. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 2014.
 * Michael E. Hanlon. Researching Your World War I Relative ?: Guidelines, Tips and FAQs. Stanford, California: The Great War Society, 2003. FHL 973 M2h.
 * M.M. McMahon. Researching Your U.S. WWI Army Ancestors. Crownsville:CreateSpace, 2017.
 * Richard Rubin. The Last of the Doughboys. The Forgotten Generation and their Forgotten World War. Boston:Mariner Books, 2013.