February 27, 2026
Approximately five million American men served in World War I. By the time the war ended in November of 1918, over two million of them had reached Europe. That means many genealogists today have grandfathers or great-grandfathers who served. In addition, we may have great uncles and cousins who served.
Some of us know about our ancestors who served in World War I, but many of us have no idea which, if any, of our ancestors were soldiers in the Great War. Family sources are always a good starting point. Obituaries, cemetery records, and family biographies often mention military service.
However, there are other methods to find out if someone served. When war was declared in 1917, all men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five had to register for the draft. This included citizens as well as non-citizens living in the U.S. There were three separate registrations of men of various ages. Draft registration cards for everyone who registered are available online at Ancestry, Family Search, Fold 3, and other websites.
Finding that someone registered for the draft does not mean he served. Only a small percentage of those who registered ended up in the military. A draft registration card is a clue that someone was eligible to serve and more research is needed.
Cemetery research is a good way to determine if someone served in the military. Checking Find a Grave for a memorial for an ancestor may help determine whether he served. Many veterans’ families applied for military headstones. These military headstones usually give information such as the dates a soldier served, his rank, and the unit and company he served in.
If you determine an ancestor served, governmental records can provide more information about his service. The National Archives holds World War I service records at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. To obtain copies, file a Standard Form 180. The form can be downloaded from the National Archives website (https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180 ).
Some non-classified, digitized records are available on Ancestry.com, Family Search and Fold 3. These records include various databases such as World War I Service Cards, American Soldiers of World War I – Death Index, and U.S. Army Transport Services, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939.
A 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis destroyed approximately 80% of personnel records for soldiers discharged between 1912 and 1960. Army and Air Force records were most affected; navy and marine records were generally unaffected. Even though many records were destroyed, researchers should request records for their World War I relatives since some files survive, and some have been reconstructed.
Another place to check for World War I records and other information about the war is the National World War I Museum and Memorial (https://www.theworldwar.org/ ). The museum is in Kansas City, Missouri and is worth a visit. There are also online collections and digitized records available.
Carol Stetser
Researcher
Larimer County Genealogical Society