Around the 4th of July, we often think of the sacrifices that our ancestors made so that we can have freedom. Most of us probably have relatives who were willing to serve in the military, and we can use military records to find out information about our ancestors.
Two great resources are the World War I and World War II draft registration cards. These documents provide information including name, birth date, relatives, residence, and occupation. In addition, you can learn their height, weight, complexion, eye and hair color, and even if your ancestor had a tattoo or a scar!
For example, I found the World War II draft registration for Kevin’s father Clarence Woodrow Bates, which he filled out on October 16, 1940, in Berkeley, California. Besides learning his address and his phone number in Berkeley, I discovered he was 21 years old, his birthday was June 24,1919, he was born in Welling, Alberta, Canada, and he was also a U.S. citizen. The registration shows his father’s name, Clarence Bates and his address in Los Angeles. It also tells that Kevin’s dad was a student at the University of California at Berkeley and was 5 feet 8 1/2 inches tall and weighed 138 pounds with brown eyes, blonde hair, and a light complexion. Since Kevin’s father died while he was on his mission and I never met him, it was wonderful to find out these details about him.
Try one of these ways to find a relative in the draft registrations:
· Go to https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1968530 and search for your ancestor in the WW1 draft registration using his/her name, birth information, spouse or parents’ names
· Go to https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1861144 and search for your ancestor in the WW2 draft registration using his/her name, birth information, spouse or parents’ names. Some states destroyed their draft registrations, so not all who registered can be found.
· Find your ancestor in Family Search. Go to the Sources tab at the top of the page and see if the WWI or WW2 draft registrations are sources already added.
· Make sure to click on the image to see all the information!
Hope you can find one of your relatives, and happy Independence Day!
— Sister Bates