Finding & Analyzing U.S. Military Records
Major repositories for accessing U.S. military service, draft, and pension records.
- Ancestry.com Military RecordsThe U.S. Military Collection include records from every major U.S. war from the American Revolution through Vietnam, including draft registration cards, veterans’ gravesites, soldier pension indexes, enlistment records, muster rolls and much more.
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors DatabasePublished by the National Park Service, the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) is a database containing information about the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War
- FamilySearch Military RecordsFamilySearch provides free access to military records from around the world, many with the actual digitized images.
- FamilySearch: Family History Library CatalogIncludes records and background information available on microfilm, microfiche, in books, or in other publications. Useful for finding items not yet digitized or indexed on FamilySearch.org. Items are accessible for free at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and many can be accessed via interlibrary loan to your local Family History Center for a small fee.
- Fold3 Military RecordsFold3 provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. The Fold3 name comes from a traditional flag folding ceremony in which the third fold is made in honor and remembrance of veterans who served in defense of their country and to maintain peace throughout the world.
Includes a limited collection of FREE records at: http://www.fold3.com/free.php/. - HeritageQuest OnlineSearch related records from the Revolutionary War Era Pension & Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files.
- National WWII Memorial RegistryIncludes three U.S. National Archives databases of veterans killed in WWI, as well as remembrance profiles submitted by the public honoring WWII veterans.
- Veterans History ProjectPublished by the Library of Congress, the Veterans History Project collections, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of U.S. war veterans from WWI to the present.
A playlist of military record tutorials provided by Fold3's YouTube channel. Click on a thumbnail (displayed at the bottom of the video player) to preview or play a specific tutorial. The videos will also play in sequence.
A playlist of military record tutorials provided by Ancestry's YouTube channel. Click on a thumbnail (displayed at the bottom of the video player) to preview or play a specific tutorial. The videos will also play in sequence.
A playlist of military record tutorials provided by the U.S. National Archives' YouTube channel. Click on a thumbnail (displayed at the bottom of the video player) to preview or play a specific tutorial. The videos will also play in sequence.
- FamilySearch Research Wiki: United States Military RecordsTypes of military-related records, what you might find in military records, where to find military records, and tips for using military records.
- National Archives: Research Military RecordsInformation about what military records NARA has, how military records can help in your research, where to start, and how to search military records.
- FamilySearch Learning CenterFree online genealogy courses to help you discover and work with military records.
Identifying Birth & Battle Years for U.S. Veterans. Infographic provided by Fold3 via Ancestry.com.
