World War I Records 

Before World War II, the war was also known as The Great War, The World War, The Kaiser's War, The War of the Nations, The War in Europe, or The European War. In the United Kingdom and the United States it was commonly called The war to end war. In France and Belgium it was sometimes referred to as La Guerre du Droit (the War for Justice) or La Guerre Pour la Civilisation/de Oorlog tot de Beschaving (the War to Preserve Civilization), especially on medals and commemorative monuments. The term used by official histories of the war in Britain and Canada is First World War, while American histories generally use the term World War I.

World War I was a military conflict centered on Europe that began in the summer of 1914. The fighting ended in late 1918. This conflict involved all of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies (centered around the Triple Entente) and the Central Powers. More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilized in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million combatants were killed, due largely to great technological advances in firepower without corresponding ones in mobility. It was the second deadliest conflict in history.

The United States was a formal participant in World War One from April 6, 1917 until the war's end in 1918. Up to that point, the US had remained neutral, though the US had been an important supplier to The United Kingdom and other Allied powers. During the war, the US mobilized over 4,000,000 military personnel and suffered over 300,000 casualties, including over 110,000 deaths. The war saw a dramatic expansion of the US government in an effort to harness the war effort and a significant increase in the size of the US military. See Wikipedia

1914-1918 (US entered 1917)

Records for World War I

• Requesting Military Records
  • Standard Form 180

Cemeteries

• US Military National Cemeteries

  • Burial Search

• US Military State Cemeteries

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission (Great Britain)

  • Search

World War War I Draft Records

World War I Draft Records

Draft Record Microfilm available from the National Archives, by State

Alabama	Alaska	Arizona	Arkansas
California	Colorado	Connecticut	Delaware
District of Columbia	Florida	Georgia	Hawaii
Idaho	Illinois	Indiana	Iowa
Kansas	Kentucky	Louisiana	Maine
Maryland	Massachusetts	Michigan	Minnesota
Mississippi	Missouri	Montana	Nebraska
Nevada	New Hampshire	New Jersey	New Mexico
New York	North Carolina	North Dakota	Ohio
Oklahoma	Oregon	Pennsylvania	Puerto Rico
Rhode Island	South Carolina	South Dakota	Tennessee
Texas	Utah	Vermont	Virginia
Washington	West Virginia	Wisconsin	Wyoming

 

Records of Interest

• Who's Who in World War I (hosted at First World War)

  • Battles

  • Who Declared War and When

• World War I Forum (hosted at The World at War)

• Biographies of World War I (hosted at World War I Document Archive)

  • Conventions and Treaties

  • Diaries, Memorials and Personal Reminiscences

  • Image Archive

  • Medical Front

• Doughboy Center (hosted at World War I, Trenches on the Web)

  • American Expeditionary Forces

  • Stories of the American Forces

  • Doughboy Heritage

• Stars and Stripes Collection (hosted at American Memory)

• Knights of the Air (hosted at WWI Aviation)

• Peace Treaty of Versailles (hosted at BYU Education)

• World War I US Military Records (hosted at FamilySearch)

Records by State

You should check the following sites for County information for Draft Registrations, Databases, Death Indexes, Casualties, Unit Rosters before going to records by State.

• Draft Registration by State

• USGenWeb Archives Search Counties for Military Records

• USGenWeb Special Projects

• USGenWeb Project

• American Local History Network

• American History and Genealogy Project

• Cyndi's List, Word War I

• Draft Registration Microfilm (hosted at National Archives)

  • Microfilm Roll Lists

• State Archives

• World War I US Military Records (hosted at FamilySearch)

Alabama

• Black Alabamians in World War I (hosted at Alabama Department of Archives and History)

  • Gold Star Database

  • Search

• Draft Registration by State

Arkansas

• Arkansas World War I Records (hosted at Arkansas History Commission)

• USGenWeb Archives

• Draft Registration by State

Arizona

• Arizona World War I Dead (hosted at WWI)

• Arizona World War I Alien Registration Records

• Letters from Home (hosted at Becky's Place)

• Military from Arizona (hosted at Arizona-ALHN)

• Draft Registration by State

California

• California and the First World War (hosted at California State Military Museum)

  • California Roll of Honor

• Draft Registration by State

Colorado

• Enlisted Men of Teller County (hosted at Colorado State Archives)

  • Civilian Defense Workers

  • Image Collection

• Colorado World War I Casualties in Europe (hosted at Denver Library)

  • Colorado Selective Service Draft Registration

• Colorado Minorities

• Colorado in World War I (hosted at ColoradoGenealogy)

• Draft Registration by State

• Colorado Soldiers in WWI, 1917-18 $ (Ancestry.com)

Connecticut

• World War I Veterans Database (hosted at Connecticut State Library)

• History of the 101st Machine Gun Battalion (hosted at Hathi Trust Digital Library)

• War on the Homefront (hosted Connecticut History Online)

• Draft Registration by State

Delaware

• World War I (hosted at Delaware National Guard)

• Draft Registration by State

District of Columbia

• 350 Ambulance Company, 88 Division (hosted at USGenWeb Archives)

• Draft Registration by State

Florida

• USGenWeb Special Projects

• World War I Draft Registrations

Georgia

• USGenWeb Archives Search Counties for Military Records

• USGenWeb Project Search State, Counties, Military Records

• Georgia Veterans (hosted at GA-Veterans Website)

Idaho

• World War I Draft Registrations

• World War I Veterans Buried in Idaho

Illinois

• World War I Casualties (hosted at Illinois Genealogy Trails)

• American Women and the World War (hosted at Illinois Digital Archives)

• USGenWeb Project

• Camp Grant Illinois WW I Cantonment (hosted at Gjenvick-Gjonvik Archives)

  • Troop Transportation

Indiana

• Indiana Veterans of World War I (hosted at WWVets)

  • 42nd Rainbow Division

  • World War I Medals

  • 1918 Influenza Epidemic

  • Marine Corps

• Gold Star Honor Roll

  • Gold Star Honor Roll, Indiana 1914-1918 (hosted at Internet Archives)

  • Bartholomew County (hosted at Indiana Genealogy Trials)

  • Cass County (hosted at Cass County INGenWeb Project)

  • Gibson County (hosted at Indiana Genealogy Trials)

  • Franklin County (hosted at Franklin County INGenWeb Project)

  • Floyd County (hosted at New Albany Floyd County Public Library)

  • Howard County (hosted at Howard County INGenWeb Project)

  • Jasper County (hosted at Indiana Genealogy Trails)

  • Jefferson County (hosted at My Indiana Home)

  • Knox County (hosted at Historical Marker Database)

  • Miami County (hosted at Miami County INGenWeb Project)

  • Monroe County (hosted at Indiana Genealogy Trails)

  • Indiana Gold Star Honor Roll, 1914-1918 $ (Ancestry.com)

Iowa

• The Price of Our Heritage

  • History of the Old Third Iowa

  • Index of Names

• Draft Registration by State

• USGenWeb Archives Search Counties for Military Records

• USGenWeb Special Projects

• USGenWeb Project 

• Ida County

  • Matthew Gray Post #93 (hosted at AccessGenealogy)

• Sac County

  • Odebolt Area Servicemen Lost in World War I (hosted at The Odebolt History Pages )

  • Draft Registrations , Persons born in Odebolt

Kansas

• Draft Registration by State
• Kansas State Guard (hosted at Digital Library Kansas USGenWeb)
• Clay County Veterans of the World War (hosted at AccessGenealogy)
• Volunteers for the Army and Navy (hosted at Comanche County Genealogy and History)
  • Complete List of Comanche-co.'s "Boys of 1917"
  • Complete list of Comanche-co. boys who are subject to draft
  • Comanche County's Honor Roll
  • "18-45" Registrants"
  • National World War I Museum
• World War I Bounty Claims (hosted at Kansas Historical Society)
• Kansas City War Dead (hosted at National World War I Museum)
• Kansas 353rd Infantry Regiment in World War I $ (Ancestry.com)

Kentucky

• WW I Detachment Co. H. 3rd Kentucky, Ohio County (hosted at Herman Genealogy)

• World War (hosted at National Guard History eMuseum)

• Soldiers of the Great War (hosted at USGenWeb Archives)

• Brock Ancestry's Military Database (hosted at Brock Ancestry)

Louisiana

• Research resources for World War I (hosted at Tulane University)

• Draft Registration by State

• USGenWeb Archives Search Counties for Military Records

• USGenWeb Special Projects

• USGenWeb Project 

• Soldiers of the Great War (hosted at World War I and wars involving the US)  

  • Distinguished Service Cross Recipients

  • Military Camps or National Cantonments

  • Photo Album

• Poster Collection (hosted at Louisiana State Archives)

Maine

• Roster of the 56th Pioneer Infantry (hosted at DistantCousin)

• Sacrifices Around the Globe (hosted at State of Maine)

• WWI Veterans (hosted at Northern Maine Veterans)

• Women, War and the Home Front (hosted at Maine Memory Network)

• Maine Military Men, 1917-1918 $ (Ancestry.com)

Maryland

• Maryland Military Men, 1917-18 $ (Ancestry.com)

• Maryland World War I Service Medal (hosted at Wikipedia)

Massachusetts

• World War I Draft Registration Cards (hosted at JewishGen)

• World War I Veterans Cemetery (hosted at Town of Littleton)

• World War I 102nd Field Artillery (hosted at Queen City Massachusetts)

Michigan

• Iosco County, Michigan WWI Veterans Index - Free Index $ (Ancestry.com)

• World War I (hosted at Michigan.gov)

• Polar Bear Unit (hosted at Michigan Historical Museum)

Minnesota

• Pipestone County's Honored Dead (hosted at Access Free Genealogy) 

• 151 Field Artillery in World War I (hosted at Minnesota Historical Society)

Nebraska

• WWI Draft Registration Cards (hosted at Nebraska State Historical Society)

• Soldiers of the Great War (hosted at NEGenWeb)

• Nebraska Alumni Killed in WWI (hosted at ALHN)

Nevada

• 10 Unknown Soldiers (hosted at Elko Rose Garden Association)

• World War I Draft Registrations, Churchill County (hosted at Genealogy Trails)

New Jersey

• New Brunswick, New Jersey in World War I (hosted at DistantCousin)

• World War I Draft Registrations (hosted at NJ State Library)

New Mexico

• Soldiers of the Great War (hosted at Genealogy Trails)

• Camp Cody (hosted at Camp Cody)

  • Camp Cody Officers

• Service Men and Women who Died (hosted at New Mexico ALHN)

New York

• New York City WWI Draft Board Database (hosted at Jewish Genealogical Society)

• Herkimer County, New York Soldiers, 1916-1918 $ (Ancestry.com)

• Oneida County, New York Servicemen, 1917-19 $ (Ancestry.com)

North Carolina

• Tickel Family Military Records (hosted at Auxier-Tickel Genealogy) 

• Wildcats Never Quit, World War One (hosted at North Carolina Archives)

  • 30th Division

  • 81st Division

  • 93rd Division

  • Browse Topics

• North Carolina Military Deaths (hosted at New River Notes)

• Beaufort County in the Great War (hosted at North Carolina Roots)

North Dakota

• North Dakota Military Men, 1917-1918 $ (Ancestry.com)
• Roster of the men and women who served in the army or naval service (including the Marine Corps) of the United States or its allies from the state of North Dakota in the World War, 1917-1918, Vols. 1-4 $ (Ancestry.com)

Ohio

• Ohio Military Men, 1917-18 $ (Ancestry.com)
• Ohio Soldiers in WWI, 1917-1918 $ (Ancestry.com)
• Ohio Soldiers in World War I (hosted at AncestralFindings)

Oregon

• Oregon at War (hosted at Oregon State Archives)

  • Search

  • Oregon Missing in Action

  • Defense Council Records

• Oregon Honor Roll

Pennsylvania

• Berks County, Pennsylvania Service Roster, 1917-18 $ (Ancestry.com)

• World War I Service Medal Application Cards (hosted at Pennsylvania State Archives)

• Tioga County Pennsylvania Draftees (hosted at Tri-Counties Genealogy and History)

Rhode Island

• What did you do in the War Grandma (hosted at Scholarly Technology Group)

• Rhode Island Military Records (hosted at FamilySearch)

Tennessee

• Tennessee World War I Veterans (hosted at Tennessee State Library and Archives)

  • Stewart County Veterans

  • Gold Star Veterans

• World War I (hosted at Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture)

• Alvin Cullum York (hosted at Wikipedia)

• Tennessee in World War I (hosted at Tennessee Virtual Archive)

Texas

• Camp Travis, Texas World War I Records $ (Ancestry.com)
• Ellis County, Texas World War I Veterans - Free Index
• Texas War Casualties (hosted at TexasEscapes)
• 36th Division in World War I (hosted at Texas Military Forces Museum)
• Wichita Falls World War I Soldiers (hosted at FamilyOldPhotos)
• World War I Biographical Dictionary (By Richard Hacken)
  • World War I Illustrated

Utah

• World War I and Utah (hosted at Utah History to Go)

  • Heroine Maud Fitch, Eureka, Utah

• War Prison Barracks Three

  • Officers and Enlisted Personnel

Vermont

• Roster of Vermont Soldiers in World War I (hosted at New England Ancestors)

• Field Kitchen (hosted at Vermont National Guard)

• Morrisville and the Great War (hosted at Vermont Historical Society)

Virginia

• World War I Draft Registrations for Northern Virginia (hosted at Alexandria Library)

• World War I Questionnaires (hosted at Library of Virginia)

  • About the Collection

  • Virginia Women and the First World War

• Grayson County, World War I Veterans (hosted at New River Notes)

  • Local Draft Boards

Washington

• World War I in Washington State (hosted to HistoryLink)

  • Knitting for Victory

• Metal of Honor Recipients (hosted at Home of Heroes)

• Honoring Heroes from World War I (hosted at Washington Secretary of State)

  • Profiles

  • Service Records

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin's Gold Star List

• At Home and in the Trenches (hosted at Wisconsin History Society)

  • The Spanish Flu in Wisconsin

• World War I Biography (hosted at Wisconsin Veterans Museum)

  • Certificates of Service

Wyoming

• Fremont County Draft Registrations (hosted at Wyoming Gennut)

• Wyoming Military Records (hosted at FamilySearch)

Military Subscription Databases

• American Soldiers of World War I
• Ireland, Casualties of World War I, 1914-1918
• U.S. Naval Deaths, World War I - Free Index
• U.S. World War I Mothers' Pilgrimage, 1930 - Free Index
• World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
• WWI Civilian Draft Registrations - Free Index

Suggested Reading or Watching

The First World War - Complete Series - Although the First World War gets less attention than its successor, it was really the watershed event of the 20th century. This conflict shaped the world that came after to this day.

An American Soldier in World War I - This extraordinary collection of Brownie’s letters reveals the day-to-day life of an American soldier in the European theater. The difficulties of training, transportation to France, dangers of combat, and the ultimate strain on George and Marty’s relationship are all captured in these pages.