A: U.S. RECORDS
1: Records
2: Location, Maps, Geo
3: Regions / States
4: Timelines & Histories |
B: VITAL RECORDS
1: Vital Rec.
2: Birth
3: Adoption
4: Marriage
5: Death, Obits
6: Cemetery |
C: CENSUS
1: Records
2: By Decades |
D: IMMIGRATION
1: Records
2: Passenger / Nat.
3: Other
4: Migration |
E: MILITARY
1: Records
2: By Conflict |
F: OTHER RECORDS
1: Religious
2: Land, Probate, Tax
3: Court
4: News.
5: Arch. / Lib.
6: Help
7: Misc.
KB
Translation Tips
Music
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Part E: U.S. Military Records
Goal E1: Learn about U.S. military records.
Many ancestors, or their relatives, served in the U.S. military at some point. One of the useful websites for locating military records is www.fold3.com.
ChoicesVault
A Understand U.S. military records and how they can be used in family history.
Summary
- Military records can contain a range of information. Some records just have a name and unit number while others have family relationships, appearance, and vital information.
- Basics: Learn the basics of U.S. military records in these research outlines.
FS—U.S. Military Records Class Handout
AC—U.S Military Records - Gather sources for U.S. military records in the FamilySearch Wiki.
FS—United States Military Records
- Learn how to interview military veterans to capture their stories.
How to Interview Military Veterans—38:11 - 2020
- Learn about the basic types of U.S. military records available and how to find them.
GC—Researching through Military Records
GE: The Ultimate Guide to Military Records for Genealogy - 2022 - See how military records can be used to further your family history.
AF—Using Military Records to Construct Family Trees - 2015 - Watch this video to learn about compiled military service records.
AAC—Compiled Military Service Records—3:24
Resources
- Search for military records from a variety of sources in the
NARA Access to Archival Databases site. - Search for records of servicemen buried overseas in the American Battle Monuments Commission site.
- Learn how to decipher common military record abbreviations.
- * Good: Using the articles and videos in this Choice, write down key learnings for U.S. military records. Then use the learnings for searches for a U.S. ancestor.
- * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.
B Learn to trace your military ancestors.
- Identifying Ancestors: Watch these videos to learn about identifying ancestors in the U.S. military.
AC—Discovering Our Veterans—23:34 - 2012
AC—Track Down Your Family Vets—20:46 - 2012
- Benefits & Pensions: Learn more about military veterans' benefits and pensions in this article.
FS—United States Military Pension Records - Watch these videos from Ancestry Academy to learn more about doing research with pension application files.
AAC—Pension Application Files (video series) - Cemetery & Gravestones: Use cemetery and gravestone records to find military ancestors.
GC—Final Resting Place - FamilySearch: Check out the FamilySearch Community Group for United States Military Records.
- Ancestry: Use the Ancestry message boards to read or post questions about U.S. military records.
- * Good: Using the articles and videos in this Choice, write down key learnings for tracing U.S. military ancestors. Then use the learnings for searches for a U.S. ancestor.
- * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.
C Explore the Fold3 website for military records.
- Introduction: Watch these videos to become familiar with the Fold3 website for military ancestors.
An Introduction to Fold3—4:30 - 2011
BYU—Fold3—12:18
- Search: Learn how to search for military records on Fold3.
Searching on Fold3—5:43 - 2013
- * Good: Using the articles and videos in this Choice, write down key learnings for the Fold3 website. Then use the learnings for searches for a U.S. ancestor.
- * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.
QUIKLinks
- FS: Army Enlistments, 1798-1914 (More)
- FS: Headstone Applications for Vets, 1925-1949 (More)
- FS: Homes for Disabled Soldiers, 1866-1938 (More)
- FS: Pension Files, 1861-1934 (More)
- FS: Pension Office Correspondence, 1889-1904 (More)
- FS: Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1937 (More)
- FS: Naval Enlistment Rendezvous (More)
- FS: Navy Widows' Certificates, 1861-1910
- MH: United States, Index of Navy and Marine Corps Awards, 1925-1994
- FS: VA Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933 (More)
- FS: United States Casualties of Army Personnel, Dependents and Civilian Employees, 1961-1981 (More)
- FS: United States Census of Merchant Seamen, 1930 (More)
- FS: United States Remarried Widows Index to Pension Applications, 1887-1942 (More)
- FS: United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940 (More)
- AC: Veterans' Gravesites, 1775-2006
- FMP: United States, National Veterans Cemetery Index
- AC: U.S. Returns from Regular Army Non-infantry Regiments, 1821-1916
- AC: U.S. War Bounty Land Warrants, 1789-1858
- AC: U.S. Navy Pensions Index, 1861-1910
- AC: U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949
- AC: U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865