WCGS War Records Main

Warren County Genealogical Society
Warren County, Ohio
Chapter of Ohio Genealogical Society
Military Histories

(513) 695-1144

406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, Ohio 45036
Hours: 9 AM-4 PM Monday through Friday
Driving Directions

wcgs@co.warren.oh.us

Military records are useful tools to genealogists and can provide insights and details about your veteran ancestors not available anywhere else. It will take a little time and background work but it is definitely worth the effort. To begin you need to know the time frame and determine what conflict happened during the lifespan of your ancestor, then check the regiment indexes for a military service report on your ancestor. One of the most important military papers you want to get a copy of is the DD214, if it exists!! This document lists all the pertinent service record information about the individual. The Warren County Recorder’s Office has copies of some of these papers, if they were submitted to the Recorder’s Office by the individual. Also check the NARA website for details on how to get this form. The military discharge papers at the Recorder’s Office are restricted as of April 2009. Photo ID is required for these records now. Check with them for availability.

National Archives
DAR / SAR
Census Records with Military Information
Repositories in Warren County with Military Information
WCGS Military Publications
Warren County US Gen Web for Military Records
Other Helpful Websites
Military Records & Unit Histories & Reports
Other DOD / Federal History & Archive Offices

Back to Military Main Page

National Archives

The National Archives is a repository of records for the United States. The archives in Washington DC has a very large collection of military records from the Revolutionary War time to 1912. The National Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC), in St. Louis, Missouri holds military records from WW1 to the present. The most commonly requested military-related records used by genealogists are:

Compiled Military Service Records for Volunteers (will provide you with your ancestor's rank, unit, date mustered in and mustered out, basic biographical information, medical information, and military information.)
Pension Applications and Pension Payment Records (usually provide the most genealogical information. These files often contain supporting documents such as: narratives of events during service, marriage certificates, birth records, death certificates, pages from family Bibles, letters received from the veteran while in service, depositions of witnesses, affidavits, discharge papers and other supporting papers)
Bounty Land Records (from claims based on wartime service between 1775 and March 3, 1855, often contain documents similar to those in pension files, with lots of genealogical information. Many of the bounty land application files relating to Revolutionary War and War of 1812 service have been combined with the pension files)

These records can often provide valuable information on the veteran, as well as on all members of the family. There is no simple explanation for how to begin research in military records. Your research path will depend on aspects such as: what branch of service your ancestor was in, which conflict, what dates, whether Regular Army or a volunteer unit, whether your ancestor was an officer or enlisted personnel, and whether there was a pension application.

Personnel Records http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/

Check List http://members.aol.com/forvets/htomr.htm

DAR / SAR

DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) are two major organizations who maintain records on descendants who have applied for membership in their organization based on their Revolutionary War Soldier’s service. DAR lineage books are published with indexes and available online.

http://www.dar.org/
http://www.sar.org/

There are 2 DAR organization chapters in Warren County that regularly meet and another one in Middletown, Butler County.

DAR- Lebanon Turtlecreek Township Chapter
Carol Mann, President
Phone: (513) 494-2568
Email: hacgmann@earthlink.net
Web Site: http://www.ohiodar.org/c/index.php?cid=4108
Meetings: 2nd Sat. of each month, Lebanon Public Library.

DAR- Springboro Jonathan Wright Chapter
Martha Neitman, President
Phone: (937) 293-7024
Email: none
Web Site: none
Meetings: monthly on Sat, Springboro Public Library

Census Records

Census records may indicate military service

1840: lists Revolutionary War pensioners or their widows (If they are deceased)
1890: is very limited but has a veteran’s census schedule for Union Veterans & their widows
1910: indicates if the individual is a Civil War Veteran

Warren County Repositories with Military Information

The Franklin Public Library has started a Veteran’s project. Service and biographical data is being collected and stored in large scrapbooks next to the island reference desk covering World War 2, Korean War, Vietnam and servicemen up through the Iraq period. In their genealogy section they also have book for the “Compendium of Confederate Armies” for various states and “War of the Rebellion- Official Records of Union and Confederate Armies” series 1 to 4 (about 68 books total). The Mary L. Cook Library has a large collection of military books such as pensions rolls, muster and pay rolls, etc. The Franklin Area Historical Society has military records for World War II, specifically of General Forest Harding.

In 1886, indigent Union soldiers, their wives and children of deceased veterans were provided with relief by the Soldier’s Relief Commission, which originally consisted of three members appointed by the Common Pleas Court judge; two of whom had to be Union veterans. This Commission increased to five members in 1945 and included one World War 1 veteran, one American Legion member, one VFW member, one DAR member, and one member of the American Vets (World War II). It assisted veterans and their families who submitted claims for benefits. Some records include: Applications for headstones; Bonus applications; Burial applications; Burial records; Case files; Disability allowance records; Grave marker records; Indexes to case files; Minutes of the Soldiers Relief Commission; Relief Orders; Relief Records; and Service Cards.

Recorders Office for Military Discharge Papers

Local Veterans History Project from Mary L. Cook Library

Helpful Websites

Helpful Websites:

WCGS Military Pages http://www.co.warren.oh.us/genealogy/warsmain.htm
Warren County US GenWeb www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohwarren/military/military.htm
www.ancestry.com has an excellent collection of digitized and indexed military records online. They have both featured military collections and individual collections.
www.footnotes.com with paid subscription you can access the same records that are kept at the National Archives
www.cyndislist.com also has a comprehensive list of websites with information about military records online.
- General Military Links http://www.cyndislist.com/milres.htm
- Civil War Military Links http://www.cyndislist.com/cw.htm
- World War 1 Military Links http://www.cyndislist.com/worldwar1.htm
- World War 2 Links http://www.cyndislist.com/worldwar2.htm
Some Civil War Sites:
- Ohio Civil War Genealogical Journal www.OGS.org/pubications
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System www.itd.nps.gov/cwss
- Ohio in the Civil War www.ohiocivilwar.com/
- War of the Rebellion www.digital.library.cornell.edu/m/moawar/waro.html

Military Records / Unit Histories & Reports

This information was provided from the presentation given to our society by Rob Young, current Historian & Public Affairs Representative of the National Air & Space Intelligence Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Air Force: www.afhra.maxwell.af.mil

Navy: www.history.navy.mil/

Army: www.army.mil/cmh/

Marines: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.usmc.mil/HD

National Archives: www.archives.gov/research/formats/textual.html

Click here for a synopsis of his presentation and other military links.

Other DOD / Federal History & Archive Offices

Department	Contact
Army	US Army Center of Military History Building 35, 103^rd Third Ave Fort McNair, DC 20319-5058 Chief of Military History (DAMH-ZA) Dr. John S. Brown DSN 325-2707; 202685-2706 Fax: 202-685-4570 Brownjs@hqda.army.mil Chief Historian Dr. Jeff Clarke DSN 325-2709 ClarkJJ@hqda.army.mil Histories Division (DAMH-HD) Dr. Richard Davis DSN 325-2739 StewaRW@hqda.army.mil Field Programs & Historical Services (DAMH-FP) Dr. Richard Gorell DSN 325-2724 Gorelra@hqda.army.mil Army NMUSA 6020 Goethais Rd 1812 Ft. Belvaior, VA 22060-6205 703-806-6032
Missile Defense Agency	MDA-HS7100 Defense Pentagon Arlington, VA 22202 703-697-8448
Central Intelligence Agency	CIA History Staff 1G03 IP Washington, DC 20505 703-613-1780 EXT 1792 Fax 703-613-3056 Dr. David Robarge- Chief Historian
Coast Guard	US Coast Guard History Office (G-IPA-4) 2100 Second St. SW Washington, DC 20593-0001 Dr. Robert M. Browning, Jr., Chief 202-267-2172 Fax 4309
Defense Intelligence Agency	DIA / HST Bolling AFB Washington, DC 20340-5485 Mr. Deane J. Allen, Chief DSN 428-4934 202-231-4934 Fax 3909
Department of Energy	History & Records Group HR-7, 7E-054 1000 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20585 Dr. F. G. Gosling, Chief 202-586-5241 Fax 4403
Department of State	Dept. of State (PA/HO) Bureau of Public Affairs Office of the Historian SA-1, Room L-409 Washington, DC 20522-0104 Dr. Marc J. Susser (Chief Historian) 202-663-1123
Institute of Heraldry	The Institute of Heraldry Attn: TPC-PDH 9325 Gunston Road Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6679 DSN 656-4972; 703-806-4972 Fax 4989
National Reconnaissance Office	NRO Historian 14675 Lee Road Chantilly, VA 20151-1715 Clayton Laurie 703-227-9021 US Marine Corps Marine Corps University History Division, Bldg R64 3079 Moreell Ave Quantico, VA 22134 703-432-4878 / 4882
National Aeronautics & Space Administration	NASA Headquarters Office of External Relations 300 E Street SW Washington, DC 20546-0001 Dr. Steven J. Dick, Chief (Ext 0383) 202-358-0383; Fax 2866
Navy	Naval Historical Center Washington Navy Yard 805 Kidder Breese St., SE Washington, DC 20374-5060 Radm (ret) Paul Tobin, Director DSN 288-2210/7230; Fax 3593 NRL/HO 5204 Naval Research Laboratory Washington, DC 20375 202-767-4263 Dr. David van Keuren, Historian
National Archives & Records Administration	NARA- Archives I Textual Reference Division 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20408-0001 202-501-5395 NARA – Archives II Textual Records Branch 8601 Adelphia Rd. College Park, MD 20740-6001 301-837-3480 Washington National Records Center 4205 Suitland Rd. Washington, DC 20409-0002 301-457-7000 National Personnel Records Center Military Personnel Records (NCPMO) 9700 Page Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63132-5100 Air Force Branch 314-538-4271 Fax 4005
Office of the Secretary of Defense	OSD Historian Suite 5000 1777 North Kent St. Rosslyn Plaza North Arlington, VA 22209 Dr. Alfred Goldberg, Director 703-588-7890 Fax 703-588-7572
Defense Threat Reduction Agency	DTRA/PAH 8725 John J. Kingman Road MSC 6201 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6201 Dr. Joseph P. Harahan, Chief Pat.Harahan@dtra.mil
Air Force Historical Foundation	Air Force Historical Foundation Command Drive, Suite A-122 Andrews AFB, MD 20331-7002 DSN 858-2139; Fax DSN 981-3574 Commercial: 301-981-3574 Voice Mail: 301-736-1959 Ge. W. Y. Smith (USAF-Ret.), President George Williams (Executive Director) Mrs. Frieberger, Secretary
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency	OCRNH, 111 4600 Sangamore Road Bethesda, MD 20816-5003 Dr. Martin K. Gordon 301-227-7150 Fax 301-227-7638 Martin.K.Gordon@NGA.mil

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This page was created on 12 October 2007 & last updated on 31 August 2010