11.7 Military Records

As previously discussed in Chapter 8, draft cards for the world wars can be wonderful records because of the physical descriptions, next of kin, addresses, and birth information listed on them. But draft registration cards are not the only military records utilized in genealogy:

  1. Awards

  2. Promotions

  3. Orders

  4. Court martials

  5. Medical/Injuries

  6. Veteran’s benefits

  7. Next of kin

  8. Discharges

  9. Maps of theaters or operations

A key to solid research in military records is to use multiple records together to understand the bigger picture. A draft card may give a glimpse into the person’s life before the military and give some connections and point the researcher to the person’s home and family. Orders show where they went, promotions give insight into successes, and medical records and benefits show wounds and sacrifices made in the line of duty. Discharges show whether or not the person was in good standing upon leaving the service. Because of the work of historians, there is often historical context to learn about and academic sources to cite in the story of an ancestor who served during wartime.

Figure 11.1: This sample of a military record is 1941 crew list for the U.S.S. Shaw (DD-372). Charles Patrick Ramsey appears on this record with his enlistment date and date he began service on this ship. Citations for this record are below in the military record citation samples.
MILITARY RECORD CITATION SAMPLES

CHICAGO STYLE:

In quotes include the title of the collection, end quotations then name of person or people with the event and date followed by the place, italicized title of the website, author or sponsor of the website if known, accessed date with month spelled out followed by numerical day, year, url.1

“Shaw (DD-373) - Muster Rolls, September 1941,” Charles Patrick Ramsey enlisted 9 February 1940 and served on the U.S.S. Shaw beginning 19 May 1940, National Archives Catalog, accessed February 5, 2025, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/112366208?objectPage=2.

EVIDENCE EXPLAINED:

Name of research subject, record type dated with standardized date; decription, location, description of database, name of collection in quotation marks, italicized repository (url : access date); identifying information.2

Charles Patrick Ramsey entry, Muster Roll dated 19 May 1940; Muster Roll of U.S.S. Shaw, September 1941; Shaw (DD-373), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; database with images, “Shaw (DD-373) - Muster Rolls, September 1941,” National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/112366208?objectPage=2 : accessed 5 February 2025); Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities January 1, 1939 – January 1, 1949, Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel 1798 – 2007.

SENSIBLE CITATION:

The collection in quotation marks followed by the name of the individual with a description of the event on standardized date in standardized place, description of the database, identifying information about the record, italicized website, accessed on standardized date. The url should be embedded from the name of the person to the end of the standardized place.

“Shaw (DD-373) - Muster Rolls, September 1941,” Charles Patrick Ramsey enlisted 9 February 1940 and served on the U.S.S. Shaw beginning 19 May 1940, online images, page 5, image 2, National Archives Catalog, accessed 5 February 2025.

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