Military Files (Government Records Series, Part 2)

“The sacrifices our ancestors gave yesterday, gave us today and our tomorrow.” – Stephen Robert Kuta

The last post discussed finding the burial location of a family member or ancestor through the Department of Veterans Affairs website.

As you are researching your veterans, you may begin to wonder – Where were they employed before joining the military? Where were they living when they joined the military? What did they do while in the service?

My Great-Grandfather, Michael Fedczak
with my grandmother, Carol.

I had these questions as I began researching my great-grandfather, Michael Fedczak. As a starting point, I went to the National Archives website and explored their genealogy section to understand if it was possible to order records and how to do so. The website states that you can begin by searching the name indexes on the microfilm (link below). However, if the records for your veteran are not on microfilm, you may request to see the original records at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C.

For most people, it is not as easy to go to the National Archives and request the records in person. If you are not able to go to the building, you can order many of the Compiled Military Service Files for your ancestors who were veterans, through the National Archives website. If you order online, you can obtain copies of service records for “Volunteer enlisted men and officers whose military service was performed during an emergency and whose service was considered to be in the Federal interest, 1775 to 1902 - Volunteer enlisted men and officers who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War - Regular Army enlisted personnel, serving 1798 - October 31, 1912 These records can also be requested using the NATF Form 86.” The website states that it takes about thirty days for you to receive the record.

Screenshot which shows the order form for
Golden Arrow Military Research.

Because, my great-grandfather, who I was researching, served in World War II, I could not order his service record online. This is because National Archives records only go through 1912 for the online ordering service. I continued to research to see how I may be able to obtain these records without visiting the National Archives in person.

I came across a great resource – Golden Arrow Military Research (link below). The company is owned and was founded by Geoff Gentilini, who holds a B.A in Social Studies from Old Dominion University as well as an M.A in Military History from Norwich University. He is the lead researcher and he is based out of Washington, D.C. Through the website, you are able to request the following records: WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Civil War and more.

There is an “order form” on the website­­­­­­ (screenshot pictured above). The order form allows you to fill out your information and any information that you may know about your veteran – their name, place of birth, date of birth, approximate dates of service, etc. After you submit this information, it will be reviewed and you will be contacted by email with a quote for the expected cost of research.

This is the photo of my great-grandfather, Michael, which was
taken when he enlisted in the Navy. This photo was
included in his service record. The number
at the bottom is his Navy service number.

After I submitted my request, I received the record almost exactly a month later as a downloadable file. At this time, I also received the invoice, which was a $75 cost. While it was not inexpensive, I felt that the cost was worth being able to order the record online and to not have to visit the National Archives building in Washington.

This is one of the documents from the service file, which
has information about hobbies, interests, and skills.

The file that I received included a lot of great information. There was information in the file about the ships that he worked on – the USS Louisville and the USS Whitehurst. There was also information about his previous jobs working in the family grocery store and at a factory re-covering air bags. He listed information about his religion, nearest relatives, and there was a page where his fingerprints had been taken.

While I appreciate having all of the information in the file, my favorite page in the file was an enlistment paper where he was required to write about himself and some of his hobbies and interests (document pictured left). On this document, underneath ‘Leisure Time Activities’, he wrote that he liked boxing, playing baseball, and pool. He also included that he played football in high school. Under the ‘Specialized Training’ section of the document, he indicated that in a high school shop class he used hand tools with some mechanical drawing. This information was very nice to discover because having never met my great-grandfather, it was special to learn more about him and what he enjoyed doing. 

If you have any veterans in your lineage, I highly recommend taking a look at ordering military service records. You never know what you might learn!

National Archives Genealogy Page –

 https://www.archives.gov/research/military/genealogy.html

National Archives Microfilm –

https://www.archives.gov/publications/microfilm-catalogs.html#service

Link to Order Military Service Records through the National Archives-

https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/start.swe?SWECmd=GotoView&SWEScreen=GPEA+Catalog+Screen+FFO&SWEView=GPEA+Made-To-Order+Reproduction+Landing+Page+View+FFO