The article below gives good information for
getting started on Military Research
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US Military Records

How do I know if my ancestor was in the military?

1. Family Memorabilia, Documents
2. Insignia on Headstone
3. Membership in GAR, SAR, or daughter that was in the DAR (or other similar societies)
4. Eligibility for draft and wars during their lifetime
5. Census notations: 1840, 1890, 1910, 1930
6. County histories, biographies, obituaries

Other Items of Note:

• Confederate Military records are NOT US Federal records
• Search at Federal, State, County and Local levels
• Subscription Sites will often have free use around holidays such as Veteran's Day, Memorial Day etc.

Other Sites:

• FamilySearch-- https://familysearch.org/
• Access Genealogy--http://www.accessgenealogy.com/military/
• Archives.gov-- http://www.archives.gov/veterans/

1. Archival Research Catalog:  http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/topics/
2. Access to Archival Databases (AAD)  http://aad.archives.gov/aad/

• Joe Beine Online Military Indexes and Records-- http://www.militaryindexes.com/
• BYU Family History Library; Military records link-- http://sites.lib.byu.edu/familyhistory/records/#military-records
• BYU Harold B. Lee Library; Online Collections, World War I Document Archive-- http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/
• Library of Congress-- http://www.loc.gov/index.html 

$$$-Subscription Sites  (available at LDS FamilySearch Centers):

• Ancestry.com-- http://www.ancestry.com/  
• Ancestry Direct link to Military Records:  www.ancestry.com/cs/militaryrecords
• Find My Past-- This link is to an article explaining what military records they have.  You can click the link in the article to search their database and will hit the pay wall when you want to look at a search result.    www.findmypast.com/articles/anzac-day-stories/resources-search-military-records
• Fold 3- (Formerly Footnote)--   http://www.fold3.com/

​Helps for Specific Time Periods:
Birth Year:  1726-1767                                 
Look for records of:   Revolutionary War (1775-1783) 

• Muster rolls  
• Pension files  
• Service Records  
• Loyalist records-- http://www.royalprovincial.com/
• Bounty-land grants  

Birth Year: 1762-1799
Look for records of:  War of 1812 (1812-1815)

• Service Records  
• Pension records 
• Bounty-land warrants

Birth Year:  1796-1831
Look for records of: Mexican War (1846-1848)

• http://www.gengateway.com/military/

Birth Year:  1811-1848
Look for records of: Civil War (1861-1865)

• Find State and Unit first if possible
• Service Records
• Pension Records
• 1890 Census of Union veterans and widows
• American Civil War Research Database  http://www.civilwardata.com/  ($)
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors:  http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm

Birth Year:  1849-1881
Look for records of: Spanish-American War (1898)

• Spanish-American War Centennial  http://spanamwar.com/ 
• Rough Riders   https://www.accessgenealogy.com/military/rough-riders.htm
• NARA

Birth Year:  1849-1885
Look for records of: Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902)

• 1900 Census covered military personnel stationed in the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
• NARA--Service and pension records

Birth Year:  1872-1900
Look for records of: World War I (1917-1918)

• Draft Registration Cards

Birth Year:  1877-1925
Look for records of: World War II (1941-1945)

• Draft Registration Cards
• Army Enlistment Records 1938-1946
• Casualty Lists

Birth Year: 1900-1936
Look for records of: Korean War (1950-1953)

• Casualty Lists   http://www.archives.gov/research/military/korean-war/casualty-lists/state-level-alpha.html

Birth Year: -1955
Look for records of: Vietnam War (1964-1972)

• Casualty List   http://www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/casualty-lists/state-level-alpha.html
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial

More Website Links:

• Find My Past Resource Article:

​www.findmypast.com/articles/anzac-day-stories/resources-search-military-records