# Any USA genealogy buffs here?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-usa-genealogy-buffs-here/406059>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 30, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-usa-genealogy-buffs-here/406059 "2007-05-30T13:42:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-usa-genealogy-buffs-here/406059/1 "2007-05-30T13:42:35Z")

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If you’re into genealogy in the USA, check out [ancestry.com military records](http://landing.ancestry.com/military/collections.aspx?html=main&URL=military%2fcollections.aspx%3fhtml%3dmain&o_iid=31811&o_lid=31811&o_it=31811&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0)

They have scanned and posted online lots of military records, draft registration forms, etc. I found the WW 1 and WW 2 draft registration forms for several ancestors which gave me their dates of birth and full names. It also gives birthplace and one of them was born in the US when family oral history had him born “in the old country”.

Their free use expires on June 6 so make haste.

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**Author:** ![Sock\_of\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@Sock\_of\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_of_Doom)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-usa-genealogy-buffs-here/406059/2 "2007-05-30T14:33:20Z")

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Nifty!  
I think I found my great-great grandfather’s draft registration cards for WWI and WWII. I especially like that the WWII card lists his hair as “gray, bald.” I think he was a bit old for the draft.

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-usa-genealogy-buffs-here/406059/3 "2007-05-30T14:58:19Z")

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Your public library may already pay for you to access Ancestry. Here we can only afford access within the library, not at home. (@ your library - check it out!)

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**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-usa-genealogy-buffs-here/406059/4 "2007-05-30T15:02:16Z")

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You can also get 3 free days for all their stuff. I have been downloading things myself! The WWI cards were interesting.

At first, I thought it odd that both of my grandfathers had filled out draft cards on the exact same day (June 5, 1917). I googled that & found it was “Army Registration Day”, so I guess there were a lot of people filling out cards on that same day.