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Military Records 1917-on
Military Cemeteries
The following is a listing of national (military) cemeteries in the New York City area.

Cypress Hills National Cemetery
625 Jamaica Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11208
For information on interments, please contact: Long Island National Cemetery

Long Island National Cemetery
2040 Wellwood Avenue
Farmingdale, NY 11735-1211

Online Resources
The American Battle Monuments Cemeteries lists American military cemeteries overseas. They do not give interments, but include history and photographs.

The Westchester County Archives has an online database of cemetery records of veterans from 1775-1918. Fully searchable by surname.

World War I 1917-1918 The War to End All Wars
The US entered WWI in April 1917. Over 4.7 million men and women served in the regular US forces, National Guard units and draft units. New York was one of the four states that sent the most soldiers. US killed in action was 136,516, with 4,452 missing in action. There were approximately 205,000 wounded.

Draft Records
On May 18, 1917 the Selective Service Act was passed, wherein the President could temporarily increase the size of the military. Over four thousand local draft boards were established under the Provost Marshal General. These local boards were for each county in each state, and for each 30,000 people in each city with a population over 30,000. Therefore large cities such as New York would have many draft boards.

Three registrations were held. The first was June 5, 1917 and was for males aged 21-31. The second, June 5, 1918 for males who turned 21 fter the June 1917 registration. (Another registration was held August 24, 1918 for males who turned 21 after June 1918 and is included with that registration.) The third and last was September 21, 1918 for males 18-45. Twenty-four million men born between September 13, 1873 and September 12, 1900 registered for the three drafts.

US Maps of WWI Draft Registration Boards LDS microfilm # 1498803

WWI Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards 1917-1918
NARA microfilm # M1509
LDS computer # 504818

NOTE: You can also send to the following address to request a search of the draft cards:
National Archives - Southeast Region
1557 St Joseph Avenue
East Point, GA 30344

Service Records
Many service records were destroyed in the 1973 fire at the Therefore it can be a challenge to find service records of a WWI veteran. The following may be of help:

American Expeditionary Forces WWI
NARA record group: 120

Records of United States Army Mobile Units 1821-1942
NARA record group: 391

Records of the War Department General & Special Staff
NARA record group: 165
NOTE: Contains records of Officers' Training School (OTS).

Cemetery & Death Records

Soldiers of the Great War
LDS microfiche # 6051244
NOTE: Listing of soldiers who died. Arranged by state and lists name, address, rank and cause of death.

Officers & Enlisted Men of the United States Navy Who Lost Their Lives During the World War from April 6, 1917-November 11, 1918
LDS microfilm # 1415261 item 7

Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; WWI Gold Star Mother's Pilgrimage
NARA record group: 92

Pilgrimage for the Mothers & Widows of Soldiers, Sailors and Marines of the American Forces Now Interred in the Cemeteries of Europe
LDS call #: 973 M23uw

Holdings of the New York State Archives (SARA)

Abstracts of WWI Military Service 1917-1919
SARA Group # B0808
NOTE: Covers Army, Navy and Marines. Abstracted from federal records that were destroyed in 1973 fire. SARA will search these records for you.

Abstracts of National Guard Service in WWI 1917-1919
SARA Group # 13721
NOTE: Covers officers & enlisted in the National Guard who were mustered into federal service. Arranged by military unit, then alphabetical.

Muster Rolls of New York National Guard Units that Served in the US Army During WWI 1917-1918
SARA Group # B0814
NOTE: Arranged by unit, then numerically by unit number.

WWI Veterans' Bonus Cards 1920-1937
SARA Group # B1357
NOTE: Bonus payments made to those who served in WWI. Arranged by surname. Names are soundex coded.

WWI Veterans' Service Data & Photographs
SARA Group # A0412
NOTE: Contains personal information, service data, newspaper clippings and photographs of NY State veterans. Project started in 1923 by state historians. It was never completed due to lack of funding. Contains some veterans from New York City; none from the Bronx or Queens.

Hospital Records
To obtain information on a WWI serviceman sent to the Ellis Island Hospital, you will need to request a search of NARA Record Group #112 and mail your request to:
Modern Military Records Unit (NWCTM)
86-01 Adlephi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
NOTE: You must provide NARA with as much information as possible on the serviceman.

Online Resources

Cemeteries
The American Battle Monuments Commission has an online database of 33,714 WWI dead who are buried overseas.

Draft Cards
The Jewish Genealogy Society of New York has a New York City draft card index online. Data is added by draft board number. Currently, board numbers 151 and 152 are completed. Board number 150 is a partial transcription.

Histories & Memoirs
WWI Memoirs is wonderful reading. Contains online texts to Sherwood Eddy's 1917 With Our Soldiers in France, and the history of the American Field Service among others.

American Coast Artillery Unit Histories is devoted to the units that served in France. Includes unit histories, photos and the history of the US Army Ordinance Department.

Medal of Honor
NY GenWeb offers a listing of NY State World War I Medal of Honor recipients.

Miscellaneous
The Brooklyn webpage has the following: Kings & Queens County Dead as Compiled by the NY State Adjutant General 1919, Brooklyn men registered for Selective Service & sent to Camp Upton in June & July 1918 (not in strict alphabetical order), and draft board numbers and locations. (You will need a neighborhood map to accurately place the draft boards.)

Monuments
The five boroughs of New York City are full of WWI monuments. View photos of them at Survey of New York City WWI Monuments.

List of Heroes is a May 26, 1921 listing of names to be placed on the WWI monument in Ridgewood.

Rosters
The December 1913 roster of the 54th Mine Company at Fort Wadsworth, NY is now online.

World War II 1941-1945
Over 16.5 million men and women served in World War II, of which 291,557 were killed in action. Another 113,842 died off the battlefield, while 670,846 were wounded.

It is important to note that the Navy & Marines kept two separate files on their personnel: one detailing their actions, another for medical histories. The Army & Air Force kept these together in one file.

Draft Cards
In 1942, men born between 1877-1893 were required to register with their local boards so the government would have a comprehensive listing of those too old to be drafted, but who possessed skills that may be vital to the war effort.  These 4x5 cards, called the Old Man's Registration contain the following information:
Full name
Age
Date of Birth
Address
Telephone Number
Country of Birth
Town of Birth
Place of employment
Physical charecteristics (on the reverse side)
Signature
The cards for New York City are alphabetized, however the Brooklyn cards are arranged by board number than alphabetical by surname. You must know the board number in order to search the Brooklyn cards. These cards are available at NARA - Northeast Region in New York City.

Online Resources

Casualty Listings
The Brooklyn Information page has an online listing of Naval personnel killed and missing in action from 1942.

Access Genealogy has the scanned casaulty listings for Bronx, New York and Queens counties. The listings are alphabetical by surname.

The USS West Virginia website has the full history of the battleship, it's role in the attack on Pearl Harbor, full Pearl Harbor casualty list, ship's casualty list and details of the Japanese surrender. Fascinating site.

You can search NARA's online database of WWII casualities by using NAIL. Cemeteries
The American Battle Monuments Commission has a listing of WWII dead, buried overseas.

Interment.net has an online listing of interments at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (aka the "Punchbowl"). Click on the appropriate letters to bring up the transcription. Most of the interments are WWII military personnel.

Holocaust
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC contains three floors of 900 artifacts, 70 video monitors and four theaters. Tours include films and eyewitness accounts. The website offers an online museum and articles, and information on the Benjamin and Vladka Meed Registry of Jewish Holocaust Survivors.

JewishGen offers one of the most comprehensive Holocaust databases on the internet. It pulls together 37 other databases for a total of 140,000 entries. Additions to the database are ongoing, so please be sure to check back.

The Simon Weisenthal Center has detailed instructions for those interested in Holocaust restitution.

The Swiss Bankers' Association Dormant Accounts website details claim procedures for Nazi victims or their heirs.

Memorials
The National World War II Memorial broke ground in September 2001. It is monument dedicated to all those who served in World War II. The website offers sketches of the finished design and enrollment information.

The Arizona Memorial Museum Association is the offical website of the USS Arizona. Site includes links, photographs and history.

Oral Histories
The US Army Military History Institute at Carlisle, PA is accepting donations of personal letters, papers, diaries, photographs and all other material representing military service from all eras. They are especially interested in personal correspondence, camp and unit newspapers, photographs, soldier art and unit insignia. Only unconditional donations will be accepted. Artifacts will be placed in the furture Army Heritage Museum located at Carlisle Barracks, which will tell the history of the US Army and its contributions to the nation and the world. To donate, please contact the museum curators at (717) 267-3419 or email Acquisitions at: mhi-acq@carlisle.army.mil.

The US Army Military History Institute also offers questionnaires for WWII army veterans. These questionnaires will be incorporated into the Army Heritage Museum. Questions are related to impression of camp life, army life, battle, etc. If you are a WWII veteran or are related to one, please take the opportunity to preserve your memories so future generations will understand the sacrifices of 'The Greatest Generation.'

Orphans
The American WWII Orphan's Network is a resource organization for the children left fatherless by WWII. Sons and daughters of KIAs and MIAs are welcome.

Purple Heart
The WWII Purple Heart Database is a user contributed listing of purple heart recipients.

Location/Reunion Sites
The US Merchant Marine Shipmate Search provides instructions on locating anyone who served in the Merchant Marines during WWII. There is also a message board where queries can be posted.

Women
The American Rosie the Riveter Association was formed to honor the working women on the homefront who were so crucial to winning the war. Founded in 1998, it is open to original "Rosies" and their descendents.

Korean War 1950-1953
Of the 5 million American servicemen and women who served in Korea, approximately 54,000 were killed.

Casualty Listings
FamilySearch Military Index
Found at the LDS in Salt Lake City and at most Family History Centers. This is a computer program searchable by surname only.
NOTE: The Index includes all individuals in the US military who died or were declared dead in Korea from 1950-1957. The Index gives birth & death dates; home residence at time of enlistment; rank, service number & branch of service; race and date tour of duty started and religious affiliation. The Index does not contain information on the spouse, parents or children; birthplace nor allows you to search using a service number.

Online Resources

Casualty Listings
The website of the Korean War Memorial in Washington DC has a searchable database of KIAs & MIAs.

Military Information Enterprises has a Korean War Casualty database. The site is searchable by surname. However, MIE does not verify that the information within is 100% accurate.

Cemeteries
Interment.net has an online listing of interments at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (aka the "Punchbowl"). Click on the appropriate letters to bring up the transcription. While most of the interments are WWII military personnel, there are some service persons from the Korean War listed.

Memorials
The website of the Korean War Memorial in Washington DC has photographs of the memorial, a guestbook and selected databases, including the Rememberence entries.

Vietnam War 1964-1975
Seven million Americans served in Southeast Asia. It is estimated that approximately 58,000 were killed in action, with another 2,539 listed as Missing in Action.

Casualty Lists
FamilySearch Military Index
Lists U.S. military service personnel who died in Southeast Asia from 1957-1975, Casualties include those killed in Cambodia, China, Laos, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and Thailand.
NOTE: The Index gives birth & death dates; home residence at time of enlistment; rank, service number & branch of service; race and date tour of duty started, marital status and religious affiliation. The Index does not contain information on the spouse, parents or children; birthplace nor allows you to search using a service number.

Online Resources

Medals
Virtual Wall offers Height of Valor, a listing of all service personnel who received the highest medals: Medal of Honor, Service Cross and Silver Star.

Medal of Honor Citations: Vietnam War has an alphabetical listing of MOH recipients. Names are listed alphabetically, with a link to biographical info and/or circumstances causing the awarding of the citation. You can also link to a rememberance site.

Memorials
The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial official website. Tells the story of "The Wall", and includes photographs.

Virtual Wall offers online memorials to those killed in Vietnam. You may request a memorial for a fallen service member. There is also a separate listing by state of residence when the individual entered the service.

MIAs
Virtual Wall details the status of MIA'S. It is an alphabetical listing taken from the Department of Defense's Personnel Missing - South-East Asia or PM-SEA.

Reunions/Veterans
Military Information Enterprises has a Vietnam Veteran's database. Site is searchable by surname. However, MIE does not verify that the information within is 100% accurate.