Request Your Ancestor’s Military Discharge Papers
US military records such as the DD 214 aren’t in online databases, but they can be requested from the National Archives and Records Administration. Learn how you can get a copy of your ancestor's discharge papers.
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Research Roadmap: Military Maps
Learn how to understand the details of military maps and apply them strategically to your family history.
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American Flag Mystery: Old Glory in an Old Photo
It seemed appropriate to write a column about the 4th of July and the American flag. It's a patriotic holiday with flags hanging in front of houses and bunting-wrapped porches. In the collections of the Library of Congress is this beautiful photograph of a tableau of four women sewing an...
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Genealogy Workbook: Military Service Records
Learn how to find the military service records for your American ancestors, then mine the records for genealogy clues.
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Now What: Revolutionary War POW
Q: Family legend has it that an ancestor was imprisoned on, and escaped from, a British POW ship in Charleston Harbor in 1780. Where would I look for records? A: Try the National Archives microfilm M247, Papers of the Continental Congress, which includes information about Americans held as prisoners...
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Genealogy Workbook: Military Draft Records
Learn how to find your ancestors' Civil War, WWI and WW2 draft records—and the genealogical clues these old military records hold.
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Quick Guide to the Fold3 Genealogy Website
We'll show you the best strategies for finding your relatives' old records in the genealogy databases on Fold3.
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Genealogy Q&A: Tracing a Confederate Navy Ancestor
Can't find your Confederate Civil War Soldier? Perhaps he was a sailor.
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Researching Women Who Served in WWII
Expert Answers for Your Genealogy Questions: Tracing Members of the WWII Women's Army Corps
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Genealogy Workbook: Military Pension Records
Our guide tells you everything you need to know about finding and using your ancestors' old military pension records.
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Tips for Researching an WWII POW in Germany
Q. My father, now deceased, was captured by Germans while serving in the Army in World War II. I’d like to know more about the prison camp, which I believe was in Saxony. A. A POW camp in Saxony would’ve been part of Germany’s Military District...
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WWI Genealogy Websites and Books for Tracing Female Ancestors
Use these resources to start exploring the experiences of your female ancestors who served in World War I, whether as a nurse, volunteer, or on the home front.
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