The US government has always kept records on all military and civilian workers. Most of these files have very detailed information, such as the individual's name, their spouse's name, date of birth, place of residence, which wars the individual served in, their military organization (Navy, Marines, or Army), when the individual's service began and ended, where and when the individual died, and where the individual was buried. The amount of information you get will depend on the record and the point at which the file began. The National Archives has the following types of military records: pension records, bounty land records, service records, personnel records, draft or conscription records, regular military forces records, and burial or cemetery records.

Where can I find military records?

You can get copies of military records through the National Archives and National Personnel Records Center. For more information about these two military archives, see the topic Researching through military records.

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