Washington, U.S., Military Records, 1855-1950

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., Military Records, 1855-1950 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2021.
Original data: Miltary Records. Olympia Washington, USA: Washington State Archives.

About Washington, U.S., Military Records, 1855-1950

About the Washington, U.S., Military Records, 1855-1975

General collection information

This collection includes information about servicemen found in registers and index cards created in the state of Washington between 1855 and 1975. Images of the original documents are available, and the type of information they contain varies. Most documents include personal information and military service details.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

  • Branch of service
  • Service number
  • Rank
  • Company
  • Regiment
  • Unit
  • Age at enlistment
  • Birth date and place
  • Place of residence
  • Occupation
  • Military enlistment date and place
  • Military discharge date
  • Military pension date
  • War served in
  • Death date and place

    • This collection can be used to confirm that your ancestor served in the U.S. armed forces. The records also may verify your ancestor's branch of service and rank.

    Collection in context

    These records were created at military bases in the state of Washington by officers of the U.S. armed forces. The collection includes images of the original documents, which are primary historical sources. The original documents are housed at the Washington State Archives in Olympia, Washington.

    Several U.S. military installations have been established in Washington state since the late 1800s. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard was opened near Bremerton in 1891. Fort Lewis near Tacoma was built on publicly donated land in 1917 during World War I. McChord Airfield was built near Fort Lewis in the 1920s. World War II brought several military institutions to the state, including Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Naval Station Bangor, and a U.S. Army training center in Yakima.

    Bibliography

    McClary, Daryl C. "Puget Sound Naval Shipyard." HistoryLink.org. Accessed July 15, 2022.https://www.historylink.org/file/5579.

    MilitaryMorgageCenter.com. "Washington Military Bases." Accessed July 15, 2022.https://militarymortgagecenter.com/us-military/bases/washington-state/.

    United States Army. "Joint Base Lewis-McChord: History." Accessed July 15, 2022.https://home.army.mil/lewis-mcchord/index.php/about/history.

    Washington Secretary of State. "Washington State Archives." Accessed July 15, 2022.https://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/.

    DBID 62272 Washington, U.S., Military Records, 1855-1975.html Displaying DBID 62272 Washington, U.S., Military Records, 1855-1975.html.