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Researching in U.S. Military Records



A man in military uniform is holding a baby next to a woman and another small child. Behind them is a plane.
Richard "Toby" Tobias and family, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. 1967.

U.S. military records often reveal intimate details about your ancestors' lives—from physical descriptions and personality traits to family relationships and personal hardships—that no other historical documents capture.


Here are some tips, tools, and resources to help you navigate this type of research and make the most of military records.


What records are available?


  • Always start with what you know: Gather basic information about your ancestor's military service (branch, approximate dates, wars) from family stories or documents.

  • Understand military record types:

    • Service records (enlistment, assignments, promotions)

    • Pension records (often contain personal details)

    • Draft registrations

    • Unit histories

    • Medal citations

    • POW records

    • Military cemetery records and veterans' headstone applications

    • Oral histories

  • Think beyond combat service: Support roles, home front activities, social organizations (Veterans of Foreign Wars - VFW), and draft registrations can provide valuable information even if your ancestor didn't serve in combat.

  • Look for multiple conflicts: Many ancestors served in multiple wars or registered for different drafts, especially between WWI and WWII.

  • Consider widows' pensions: They often contain marriage certificates, children's names, and affidavits from family and neighbors.


Where to find these records?



Research strategies


  • Cross-reference records: Compare military records with census data, newspapers, and family records.

  • Join military genealogy groups: Organizations like Sons/Daughters of the American Revolution or Civil War Roundtables can provide specialized knowledge.

  • Explore local resources: County historical societies and libraries often have unique local military materials.

  • Study historical context: Understanding the conflicts and military organizations will help interpret records correctly. Get familiar with military lingo and acronyms. FamilySearch WIKI has a great resource - Military Terms and Abbreviations

  • Visit cemeteries: Military headstones often include service information, and veterans' sections of cemeteries can provide additional connections. Here is a list of all VA National Cemeteries in the United States - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Cemeteries.

  • Check for digitized unit histories: These can fill in details about your ancestor's experiences even when personal records are limited.


A few tips I've learned along the way ...


  • Research U.S. military history - Understand the place and time your ancestor served, and what was U.S. military's activity during that time.

  • Check multiple service numbers – Service numbers changed between conflicts, and some veterans were assigned new numbers when systems updated. World War II veterans often had different numbers than their later Korean War service.

  • Look for "morning reports" – These daily unit records document personnel changes, including transfers, hospital admissions, and status changes. They often contain details missing from individual service records.

  • Track pension payment cards – For ancestors who received military pensions, payment cards can reveal when payments stopped (indicating death date) and sometimes show address changes or next of kin information.

  • Request a "complete" military file – This is really important. When ordering records from archives, specifically request "complete" files. Otherwise, you might receive only summary documents rather than the full set of records with all the good details.

  • Check for "final payment" vouchers – These documents, created when a soldier died or was discharged, often contain personal property inventories and next-of-kin details.

  • Search state adjutant general records – These state-level records sometimes contain information not forwarded to federal repositories, especially for militia service and National Guard units.

  • Look for courts-martial records – Even minor infractions generated paperwork that can contain surprising personal details and testimonies from fellow soldiers.

  • Check multiple repositories for the same service period – Records were often duplicated across agencies. Navy records, for example, might be in both NARA and the Naval History and Heritage Command.

  • Research "bounty land" warrants – For service before the Civil War, veterans often received land grants that generated paperwork containing family information.


Military records research can be complex but incredibly rewarding for genealogists. Starting with these resources and approaches will help you uncover the military service stories in your family tree.



Tobias History Research is a premier provider of history research and archives management services. With 20+ years of professional experience, founder Vicki Tobias helps clients expertly discover their history and enthusiastically share their stories. Learn more about her services.

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