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Location: WW1 Memorial, Jackson, Mississippi
How to Find Your World War One Veteran
Do you think you have a relative who served in the military in World War One? Begin your research by looking for a discharge certificate among family documents. Search for a photo of your relative in uniform, a medal or other record that identifies military service, a tombstone that includes the military unit, an obituary, or membership in a local American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars post. Relatives may have information about military service. Then determine the state and county where your relative lived between 1917 and 1918.
Places to search for information include:
Even if your relatives did not serve in the military, other records might be found for them, such as the registration cards for the World War I Women's Committee of the Council of National Defense. The war saw millions of documents created and your relatives may be listed in some of them!
A Complete Beginner’s Guide to WW1 Ancestry Research
Click to download this complimentary guide and learn how to track down service records, draft files, home-front contributions, and more. Provided at no cost, this guide helps you take the first steps in tracing an ancestor who served in World War 1. Download it now to access practical tips, recommended databases, and essential archival sources.
Janice M. Sellers is a professional genealogist and international speaker specializing in African American, Jewish, dual citizenship, forensic, and newspaper research. She is the president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon. She is the publicity director, programming director, and a board member of San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society (SFBAJGS) and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy, Genealogical Speakers Guild, Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island, and Genealogical Forum of Oregon (GFO). Janice appeared on camera for the television series The Dead Files. Her grandparents told her she is related to actor Peter Sellers and to John of Gaunt, son of a king and father of a king. Unfortunately, they were wrong, but that family story motivated Janice to research her family for the past 50 years. She now helps others find the right pieces to fit their genealogy puzzles.