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(This page's most recent update is March 2026)
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Military records are yet another very useful set of records that will help you in finding more about your ancestors. There are a ton of records that are available for free online, and there are some very robust subscription collections (such as Fold3 and Ancestry) that have sizable online military collections as well.
Typically, military records online fall into 5 different categories. The specific information that you should be targeting in your research is listed for each category:
Military Service Records
- Full name
- Birth date and location
- Residence
- Occupation
- Location of enlistment
- Date enlisted, mustered out
- Contact information of next of kin
- Rank
- Medical and military information
- Unit assignations while in the military
Selective Service Records
- Full name
- Residence
- Age
- Occupation
- Employer
- Marital status
- Birthplace
- Contact information
- Physical description
Bounty Land Warrant Applications
- Includes similar information as in service records as well as other information, such as number of warrant, date of issuance, and number of acres. Only used between 1775 and 1855.
Pension Records:
- Birth, Marriage and Death information (dates and locations)
- Demographic information
- Information about the spouse and children
- Rank and Unit
- Pension balance
Special Records:
- Information if the person was a prisoner of war, wounded or killed in action, or MIA
- 1910-1940 Census Records include questions about military service
- Veteran’s cemeteries burial lists
Check out links to 7,400 Free Online Military Record Collections at The Ancestor Hunt’s Military Records page.
If you’d like this information in a clean, printable, and well-organized reference format, this topic is also included in the Quicksheet Vault. The Vault is designed for researchers who prefer working tools they can save, print, and reuse—whether that means building a personal binder of key resources or keeping reliable references close at hand. You can learn more about the Quicksheet Vault HERE