Geneology and family history site Ancestry.com has launched the largest online collection of U.S. military records, spanning som 90 million names from the 1600s through the Vietnam era. The collection also includes the only complete collection of World War I draft registration cards, The Stars and Stripes newspaper from World Wars I and II, along with World War II counter-propaganda United Newsreels produced by the Office of War information. The goal is to not only highlight the sacrifices and service of those who have served in the U.S. armed forces, but families to identify and learn more about relatives and ancestors who have served in the military.
“So many of us have had an ancestor or a loved one sacrifice to serve our country, and some may not even be aware of their military heritage and how proud they should be of their forebears,” said Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of The Generations Network, parent company of Ancestry.com, in a release. “This new military collection now available online will offer Americans the opportunity to discover their military heritage and the role their own families played in forging this country. We encourage everyone to create a family tree, upload photos, and capture personal stories as a way of memorializing their ancestors and military history as our nation celebrates Memorial Day next week.”
The collection also spans POW records from the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War II, and the Korean War, along with U.S. military burial registers from 1768 through 1921, and casualty listings from WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.
Ancestry.com is making the records searchable for free through the anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy (that would be June 6, 2007).
