1. Military Records http://ancestry.com/library/view/ancmag/2984.asp http://ancestry.com/library/view/ancmag/2984.asp Bovington Camp England

2. Holman Salway in England

3. Jens Hansen From Denmark. Notice the Medal.

4. John S. Wood

5. Clues from photos  Identify the individual  Branch of military they were in  Determine which war they were in  Watch for other items in the photos such as: uniform, clothing style, others in photo or objects to identify the time period  Look for patches, medals which could represent the rank of the individual  Any clues could be helpful in finding the military records of your ancestors

6. What you must know to find a record  Individual’s full name  Military branch  Time period  Where are the records kept for that time period  Proper request forms The military kept excellent records of those who served

7. American war dates Gulf War 1991 Vietnam War 1965-73 Korean War 1950-53 World War II 1941-45 World War I 1917-18 Philippine Insurrection 1899-1902 Spanish-American War 1898 Civil War 1861-65 Mexican War 1846-48 Indian Wars 1780-1800 War of 1812-15 Revolutionary War 1775-83

8. Records found at  Prior to the Revolution – record found at state archived or historical society.  After the Revolution – if a person served in the state’s militia those records are at a state level as well  Useful book “U.S. Military Records” at the libraries  National Archives

9. Types of Records  Draft and conscription  Enlistment and service  Pension  National military cemetery  Bounty land records (payment for service)  Veteran’s administration hospital records  Soldiers’ home records  Lineage society records I.e. D.A.R.  Published unit histories  Veteran’s organizations, I.e. V.F.W.  Military Academy records  Biographies

10. Service Records  Comprise the bulk of the information you will find  They are the most accessible  They document 1.Enlistment/appointment 2.Duty stations and assignments 3.Training 4.Qualifications 5.Performance 6.Awards and medals 7.Disciplinary actions 8.Insurance 9.Emergency data 10.Remarks 11.Separation 12.Discharge 13.Retirement

11. Genealogical data found in service records  Full name  Rank  Age  Physical description  Marital status  Occupation  City of birth  Place of residence at enlistment

12. Pension Records  These records can provide the most genealogical data, especially if your ancestor served prior to the 20 th century  No social security so the family depended on the pensions  Awarded to officers, disabled, needy, widows/orphans  Pension files contain all the paper work the person had to go through to get the pension

13.  These records could contain: 1. Name 2. Spouse name 3. Rank 4. Military unit 5. Length of service 6. Residence at time of application 7. Documented proof of service (from others who could attest to the service) 8. Discharge papers  When a wife applied she had to prove her marriage and the children living with her at the time of the application

14. Published lists of pensioners These lists give the name, service information, age, death date, and even his or hers heirs 1. 1792-95, 1813, 1817, 1818, 1828, 1831, 1835, 1840, 1849, 1857, 1883, 1899 2. Federal censuses of 1840, 1890 and 1910 3. These can be found at most major libraries. Look for the U.S. Congressional Serial Set

15. Service and Pension Files  Most records stored at the NARA  Some records are stored at National Personal Records Center in St. Louis Missouri  General Rule 1.20 th century records are at the NPRC in St. Louis, Missouri 2.Records prior to 1900 can be found at the NARA 3.These facilities do not do research, but when provided with the right information they well make copies for a fee

16.  These records can only be obtained by the individual or a direct descendant  Between 16 & 18 million records were destroyed by fire in 1973. These were Army and Air Force records house in St. Louis, Missouri http://www.archives.gov/about_us/regulations/part_1258.html www.archives.gov/research_room/genealogy/research_topics/military.html http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cgaunt/civwar.html http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/3680/cw/cw.html http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson14.htm http://www.archives.gov/research_room/obtain_copies/fees_november_2000.html http://www.archives.gov/research_room/genealogy/research_topics/military.html http://www.archives.gov/research/order/http://www.archives.gov/research/order/ Where to order military records http://www.archives.gov/forms/http://www.archives.gov/forms/ Forms for ordering military records