World War I

A 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis destroyed the only copies of the service records of most WWI soldiers

  • 80% of the records of army veterans discharged from 11/1/1912 to 1/1/1960 were lost

  • U.S. Navy and Marine Corps records escaped damage



Check alternative records

  • Pay vouchers – can can provide the veteran’s name, service number, dates of service and character of service

  • Personnel Files – can include transfers, organizations, battle participation, duty stations, promotions, etc.

  • Service Summary Files



For ancestors who died while in the military from 1915-1939, search for Burial Case Files

Fold3 contains more than 82.5 million records related to WWI. You can target these records by starting your search here

  • Databases include:

    • Registers of Officers Who Served in the US Army 1798-1969

    • Gorrell’s History – includes historical narratives, reports and photographs for the Air Service in the American Expeditionary Forces

    • US Expeditionary Force, North Russia

    • Navy and Marine Corps Officer Registers

    • and many more…



The Library of Congress has digitized WWI newspaper clippings at World War History: Newspaper Clippings, 1914 to 1926



Draft Records

  • In 1817 the U.S. Congress created the Selective Service System, consisting of local and state draft boards under the Office of the Provost Marshal

  • Around 24 million men between the ages of 18 and 45, including non-citizens were required to register

  • Digital images of WWI draft registration cards are online at Ancestry, Find My Past and Family Search

  • The original records are in Record Group 163 at the National Archives Southeaswt Region in Atlanta