Veterans Day: Honoring Service and Tracing Family History through Military Records

Veterans Day: Americans celebrate Veterans Day each year on November 11 to honor all men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. This reverent day began as Armistice Day in 1919, commemorating the ceasefire that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. Unlike Memorial Day (which honors those who died in military service), Veterans Day is set aside to thank and recognize all who served honorably – in wartime or peacetime, living or deceased.

For genealogists and military history researchers, Veterans Day is also an opportunity to reflect on ancestors’ service and explore the rich variety of military records they left behind. These records not only document heroic service, but often provide personal details that help flesh out our family trees.

History of Veterans Day

A Veterans Day parade in the 1920s. Armistice Day began on November 11, 1919, as a solemn commemoration of World War I’s end. Over the decades it evolved into Veterans Day, honoring American veterans of all wars. Source: History of Veterans Day, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 26 July 2022 (https://department.va.gov/veterans-day/history-of-veterans-day/ accessed 4 November 2025).

The First World War’s armistice took effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. One year later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day on Nov 11, 1919, to remember the heroism and sacrifice of those who served in “the war to end all wars”. In 1938, Congress made November 11 a federal holiday “dedicated to the cause of world peace” and primarily honoring World War I veterans. After the immense sacrifice of World War II (and later the Korean War), veterans’ organizations urged that Armistice Day be expanded to honor all American veterans. In 1954 Congress acted, renaming the holiday Veterans Day to recognize veterans of every U.S. war.

For a short time in the early 1970s, Veterans Day was moved to a late October Monday under a federal holiday law, leading to confusion and resistance. In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed legislation restoring the observance to November 11 each year, effective 1978. Ever since, Veterans Day has been celebrated on November 11 – preserving the historic significance of the date and providing a focal point for parades, memorial ceremonies, and expressions of gratitude for our veterans’ patriotism and service.

Military Service Records and Family History

For those tracing family history, military service records are a treasure trove of information. Many families have stories of parents, grandparents, or more distant ancestors who answered the call to serve. By researching military records, genealogists honor their veteran ancestors and uncover details about their lives and sacrifices. In fact, military records can often provide valuable information not just on the veteran but on other family members as well. War service documents frequently contain personal data that helps build your family tree – from birth dates and physical descriptions to names of relatives, and insights into an ancestor’s character and experiences.

Service records and related files preserved at the National Archives (NARA) illustrate this richness. For example, a compiled military service record from the 19th century typically provides an ancestor’s rank, unit, enlistment and discharge dates, and notes on battles or medical issues. Even more revealing are pension applications and pension payment records for veterans (or their widows and heirs). U.S. pension files from wars like the Civil War or Revolutionary War often contain a trove of genealogical evidence – including marriage certificates, birth and death records, pages from family Bibles, personal letters and affidavits testifying to the veteran’s service. These documents can unveil names of spouses, children, and other relatives, making them goldmines for family historians.

In the 20th century, draft registration cards and enlistment records are especially valuable. During World War I, approximately 24 million American men (born between 1872 and 1900) filled out draft registration cards in 1917–1918. Even if an ancestor never actually served, their WWI draft card recorded their birth date, residence, occupation, and even the name of a nearest relative – information that can confirm identities and residences in your family tree.

Similarly, in World War II, multiple draft registrations captured data on tens of millions of men, including the 1942 “Old Man’s Draft” which registered older men up to age 64. These draft records often provide a personal description (height, build, eye and hair color) and signature, offering a direct glimpse of your ancestor in that era.

Other military-related records useful in genealogy include unit rosters and muster rolls, discharge papers, and casualty lists. If your ancestor died in service, you might find them in Gold Star honor roll lists or in grave registration records. The U.S. government issued headstone applications for deceased veterans – for instance, after World War II – which are archived and indexed, revealing details like next of kin and burial location. Newspapers from wartime periods are also rich resources, publishing draft notices, promotion announcements, and obituaries of fallen soldiers that can fill gaps in official records. By piecing together these sources, genealogists can reconstruct an ancestor’s military journey and understand its impact on the family.

Research Tip: Many official military personnel files from World War I to the present are held at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. Veterans or next-of-kin can request copies of these service records (for example, using Standard Form SF-180) to obtain details of service that might not be online. Keep in mind that a 1973 fire unfortunately destroyed a large portion of Army and Air Force personnel files from 1912–1960, but reconstructed records and alternate sources (morning reports, unit histories, etc.) can sometimes fill the gaps. Always check with NARA for the latest procedures on accessing these records.

Online Resources for Military Genealogical Research

Today’s researchers are fortunate to have a wealth of military records available at their fingertips. Many archives have partnered with genealogy websites to digitize historical military collections, making it easier than ever to search for ancestors by name and military unit. Below are some of the top online resources (and genealogy partners) that offer extensive military record collections for genealogical research:

• Ancestry.com – The largest genealogy platform, Ancestry hosts a vast U.S. Military Records Collection with documents spanning nearly 400 years of American conflicts. Researchers can access over 100 million names across more than 700 databases of military records from all 50 states. Collections include everything from Revolutionary War rolls to Civil War pension indexes, WWI and WWII draft and enlistment records, unit histories, and more. Ancestry’s indexed databases and user-friendly search help you uncover your veteran ancestors’ stories of courage and sacrifice in just a few clicks. Click HERE to search.

• MyHeritage – A global genealogy site, MyHeritage offers hundreds of military record collections from around the world. In fact, MyHeritage’s military collections include over 67 million records in 683 collections, covering U.S. and international conflicts. You can search U.S. draft cards, casualty lists, and veterans grave sites as well as international records like UK and Canadian service files. MyHeritage also integrates historical newspapers and yearbooks, which often mention enlistments or military service by name – a helpful complement to official records.
  Click HERE to search!

• Fold3 – Ancestry’s sister site Fold3 is dedicated entirely to military records. Fold3 provides original documents and images from the Revolutionary War onward, including service records, pension files, muster rolls, and war diaries. It’s named after the ceremonial folding of the U.S. flag in honor of veterans, and it lives up to that mission by offering rich detail. You can view digitized records from the National Archives (NARA) collections on Fold3, such as Civil War service records and WWII unit war diaries, often in full color. Fold3’s collections also span British and international military archives. It’s an indispensable resource for serious military researchers who want to see the actual records as our ancestors saw them. Click HERE to search.

• FamilySearch – The free genealogy website FamilySearch (run by the nonprofit Family History Library) provides access to a wide array of military records at no cost. FamilySearch has partnered with NARA and others to digitize records like the World War I draft cards and many Civil War service and pension files. While using FamilySearch, you can find and view millions of U.S. military record images (and some international ones) after creating a free account. Be sure to search the FamilySearch Catalog and Historical Records sections for specific wars or record types – for example, Revolutionary War pension files or Vietnam War casualty indexes. Although FamilySearch’s indexing may not be as complete as Ancestry’s, it is an excellent starting point for budget-conscious researchers and often links to the same documents. Click HERE to search.

• Findmypast – This UK-based genealogy company is especially strong for British and Commonwealth military records, but it also hosts U.S. collections. Findmypast’s military archives span over 60 million records covering conflicts from America, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and more. If you have ancestors who served in the British Army or other Commonwealth forces (including in World Wars I and II), Findmypast is a go-to resource for service records, medal rolls, regimental histories and pension records. They also have unique databases like British militia lists and the 1921 UK census (which notes WWI military service for many men). U.S. researchers might use Findmypast for its smaller collections of American draft registrations and the War of 1812 records, or if Ancestry/MyHeritage subscriptions are not available. Click HERE to search.

• Historical Newspapers – Don’t overlook newspaper archives as a military research tool. Websites like Newspapers.com (an Ancestry subsidiary) and GenealogyBank compile billions of newspaper articles that can reveal your ancestor’s military story. Local newspapers printed draft notices, lists of those who enlisted or were commissioned, reports on units in battle, letters home from soldiers, and obituaries of veterans. Searching these sites by your ancestor’s name (plus a keyword like “Private” or the unit name) can turn up rich details – for example, a 1918 hometown paper might mention a soldier’s wounds or a welcome-home parade. These anecdotal pieces add color and context to the official records and can even point you toward records you didn’t know to search. Many library systems offer free access to newspaper databases as well.

By leveraging these online resources – especially major partners like Ancestry and MyHeritage – genealogists can quickly locate military records that once required painstaking archival visits. It’s often wise to search across multiple sites, since each may have unique collections or indexing. For instance, a pension file image might be found on Fold3, while a transcription of a unit roster could appear on Ancestry or FamilySearch. Using a combination of tools ensures you won’t miss key information about your ancestor’s service.

Honoring Your Ancestors’ Service

Veterans Day provides a meaningful moment not only to thank living veterans, but also to research and remember the veterans in our family trees. Tracing an ancestor’s military service can deepen your appreciation of the sacrifices they made and the era they lived in. As you explore military records, take time to preserve and share what you find: perhaps add a story of your great-grandfather’s World War II Navy service to your family history, or create a memorial page for an ancestor who gave their life in battle.

By learning about and documenting the military heritage in your family, you keep those veterans’ memories alive. This November 11, genealogists and military researchers alike can honor Veterans Day in the best way we know how – by ensuring that the names, stories, and sacrifices of our veterans are never forgotten.

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Author’s Note: I want to be transparent that this article – Veterans Day: Honoring Service and Tracing Family History through Military Records – was created in part with the help of an artificial intelligence (AI) language model – ChatGPT 5o PRO with Deep Reasoning. The AI assisted in generating an early draft of the article, but every paragraph was subsequently reviewed, edited, and refined by me. The final content is the result of extensive human curation and creativity. I am proud to present this work and assure readers that while AI was a tool in the process, the story, style, and substance have been carefully shaped by the author.