Recreating a World War I Soldier's Service


The July 12, 1973, fire in the National Personnel Records Center destroyed approximately 80% of service records for Army personnel discharged between 1912 and 1960 and 75% of the records for Air Force personnel discharged between 1947 and 1964. This is a huge loss to all historical researchers! During this World War I centennial period, more and more records are appearing that will help minimize this loss. Alternate sources, whether online or not, may help you succeed in recreating your World War I soldier's military career.

This flow chart suggests the steps a researcher could use to find the waypoints necessary to search the organizational records for a World War I soldier. The list progresses from most comprehensive coverage to least comprehensive coverage and notes difficulties in records access. Some of the steps are included because online access exists. Some of these steps link to pages that provide details on the records themselves - what they are, where to find them, how to use them. Don't ignore later steps just because one step is successful. Each resource contains unique information.

  1. Contact the National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records in St. Louis. You may be one of the lucky 20% whose soldier's Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) still exists. If your subject's service records were among the 80%, the NPRC-MPR may still have records that will identify a waypoint (date when and unit to which your soldier belonged) in your subject's service history. NOTE: This is your first stop, regardless of the military branch in which your subject served. After all, records for Navy and Marine Corps personnel were not damaged by the fire.
  2. Search for your soldier's statement of service cards.
    • Theoretical coverage: 100% of OMPFs held by the Adjutant General's Office (AGO); actual coverage is less due to state losses.
  3. The "Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940 is a card index to all World War I veterans who filed any claims for benefits. These cards usually include dates of birth, death, enlistment, and discharge, their unit (probably at discharge), and their address (cannot determine if this is at enlistment or discharge), as well as claim numbers for pensions, bonuses, insurance, etc. The original microfilm series comprises 259 reels. FamilySearch has digitized these films, in multiple parts, as a browse-only collection, "United States, Veterans Affairs master index, 1917-1940." This is a must see, even if you have your subject's service records.
    • Theoretical coverage: Very close to 100% of all WWI military personnel.
    • Waypoint: Date of discharge and unit at discharge, but note that the unit is not always fully described. Date of enlistment is a partial waypoint.
  4. Search the classification lists and orders to entrain found in RG 163, Records of the Selective Service System (World War I).
    • Theoretical coverage: all inductees, i.e., about 2.8 million men
    • Waypoint: date of induction and training camp
  5. Search Ancestry's "U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939."
    • Theoretical coverage: all troops sent overseas, about 2 million men
    • Waypoints: Unit at date of departure and unit at date of return
  6. Search headstone applications.


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