“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?
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| This is one of the documents from the service file, which has information about hobbies, interests, and skills. |
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 –
National Archives Microfilm –
Link to Order Military Service
Records through the National Archives-
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