IntroductionMilitary records provide important information for family historians. The records for both World War I and World War II, however, present unique challenges. Simply having the name of the veteran will often not be enough to begin a search. You may have some family ephemera related to the service of the veteran, such as dog tags, personal letters, or discharge papers, that can give you clues to the unit or the vessel your relative was attached to—essential information when trying to locate relatives (obituaries and gravestones may also provide this information).

• Military Records By Serial Number

It is your social security number. I was an infantryman for 6 years before I knew what my Service Number was, had to get it for a VFW application. Very typical reaction from the service members on here to immediately throw you down as a fake, typical @sshole reaction from military personnel. There is also no service No. 1 in the Navy, Coast Guard, or Air Force although the earliest recorded Air Force officer number was No. The entire range of United States service numbers extends from 1 to 99,999,999 with the United States Army and Air Force the only services to use numbers higher than ten million.

This subject guide lists some key records and resources for finding information on your World War I and World War II veteran ancestors. How-To Guidesby James C. NeaglesNEHGS, 7th Floor Reading Rm Z1249.M5 N43 1994by Richard S. Johnson and Debra Johnson KnoxNEHGS, 7th Floor Reading Rm U11.U5 J54 1999by Christina K. SchaeferNEHGS, 7th Floor Reference CS14.S33 1998by Debra Johnson KnoxNEHGS, 7th Floor Reference D797.U6 K56 2003 Draft Registration Cards and Enlistments World War IOver 24 million men registered for the U.S. Draft at the time of World War I over the course of three drafts. The resulting registration cards can be searched and viewed online for free at.

Note: Even though a name might appear in the draft registrations, it does not confirm that they were actually drafted into the military service. DraftDatePersons AffectedFirstJune 5, 1917Men, aged 21 to 31 years oldSecondJune 5, 1918Men who had reached the age of 21 since the 1917 registrationThirdSeptember 12, 1918Men, aged 18 to 45WWII Draft Registration CardsDraft records for the first three drafts of World War II are not currently available online. This is in part due to the fact many thousands of these individuals are still living. The fourth draft, conducted April 27, 1942, was for men born between the years 1877 and 1897. These men were the last line of defense, and often included many former World War I veterans. These draft cards can be searched and viewed online at.You can request copies of WWII draft registration cards for the men affected by the earlier drafts, those born between February 17, 1897 to July 31, 1927.

Military Records By Serial Number

To obtain a copy, the requester must be the registrant or show written permission from the registrant. If the registrant is deceased, a copy of the registrant's death certificate or obituary is needed.

In your written request, include the registrant's full name, date of birth, and address (including county, if known) at the time of registration and send to:National Archives and Records AdministrationAttn: Archival ProgramsP.O. Louis, MO WWII Enlistments for the ArmyOver 9 million enlistments for the U.S. Army between the years 1938 and 1946 are available online. These enlistments can be searched and viewed online at. This database includes the following information:. Name. Date and place of enlistment.

Residence. Race. Citizenship status.

Birth year and birthplace. Education level.

Civilian occupation. Marital status. Military rank.

Branch of the Army. Serial numberU.S. Lounge lizard mac crack software.

CensusYou can also find information about your World War I veteran ancestor in the 1930 U.S. For that return the enumerator asked “Whether a veteran of the U.S. Military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition.” This was a yes or no question, which further asked “What War or expedition.” The responses ranged from Civil War veterans to World War I veterans.

Note: Because World War II had not yet occurred, the “Great War” was abbreviated as “WW” for World War.Since the 1940 U.S. Census is currently the most recent census released by the National Archives we do not have knowledge what military service information was provided on the later censuses for WWII and other veterans. Veteran RecordsThe National Archives's in St. Louis, Missouri stores U.S.

Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard service and personnel records for individuals who no longer have a service obligation.Veteran records may be accessed for the following U.S. Military branches for those veterans who were discharged, died, or retired during the time periods listed below: Military BranchDate RangeArmy or NavyJan. 30, 1994 (enlisted)Jan.

30, 1994 (officer)Coast GuardJan. 1, 1898 – Mar. 31, 1998Marine CorpsJan. 1, 1905 – April 30, 1994Air Forcebefore 1947 the Air Forces was connected with the U.S. Army (see Army records above)Personnel RecordsMilitary personnel records may include information on the following:. Enlistment/appointment.

Posts and assignments. Training, qualifications, and performance. Awards and medals.

Disciplinary actions. Insurance. Emergency data. Administrative remarks. Separation/discharge/retirement. Other personnel actionsUnfortunately, a fire at the NPCR in 1973 destroyed 16 to 18 million personnel records for the U.S. Army between (service years 1912 to 1960) and the U.S.

Air Force (service years 1947 to 1964). Veterans and their families may be interested in donating a copy of what records they have to help restore the national collections. Discharge Papers/Separation DocumentsA Report of Separation is issued after a service member performs active duty or at least 90 consecutive days of active duty training. Before January 1, 1950, the military used a number of different forms, including the WD AGO 53, WD AGO 55, WD AGO 53-55, NAVPERS 553, NAVMC 78PD, and the NAVCG 553. These discharge papers provide important information for verifying military service for benefits, retirement, employment, and membership in veterans’ organizations.

It is also an important document if you are faced with Army records that were destroyed in the 1973 fire.