Free Online Iowa Military Records

The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is October 2024)
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Military records are another useful set that will help you find out more about your ancestors. There are a ton of records that are available for free online, and there are some very robust collections (such as Fold3 and Ancestry) that have sizable online military collections as well.

Typically, military records online fall into 5 different categories:

  • Military Service Records:
    Includes enlistment information, such as location and date enlisted.  Also includes demographic information, such as full name, birth date and location, residence, and occupation, plus contact information of next of kin, medical and military information, and unit assignations while in the military.
  • Selective Service Records:
    Includes full name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, contact information, physical description, and other information.
  • Bounty Land Warrant Applications:
    Includes similar information as in service records as well as other information. Only used between 1775 and 1855.
  • Pension Records:
    Will include birth, marriage, and death records, demographic information, plus information about the spouse, and possibly children.
  • Special Records:
    May include information if the person was a prisoner of war, was wounded or killed in action. 1910-1940 Census Records include questions about military service. Includes those buried in Veteran’s cemeteries.

A good primer on Military Records is found on FamilySearch’s Military Records page, available on their wiki.

Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

Below, listed by state are links to military records that are available for free online. Included in each state’s page are links to free nationwide collections since there are a sizable number of collections that are available for the entire country.

Iowa Military Records

National

Iowa

For all Free Iowa Collection Links in 24 Genealogy Categories, go to the By Location Page, click on Iowa, and then click on the category of interest.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

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