Ancestry.com Introduces Largest Online Collection of U.S. Military Records Featuring More Than 90 Million Names of America’s Military Heroes

Ancestry.com Introduces Largest Online Collection of U.S. Military Records Featuring More Than 90 Million Names of America’s Military Heroes

Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online resource for family history, today announced it has launched the largest collection of U.S. military records available and searchable online, featuring more than 90 million names that span more than four centuries of American history from the 1600s through Vietnam.

A highlight of Ancestry.com’s U.S. Military Collection is the only complete online collection of WWII United Newsreels from 1942 – 1945. These counter-propaganda films were produced by the Office of War Information

and shown in U.S. theaters and abroad during WWII. Newsreels were also dropped behind enemy lines in a German language version.

Ancestry.com’s collection also includes The Stars and Stripes newspapers from WWI and WWII, commemorative military yearbooks, and the only complete collection of WWI draft registration cards. Combined, the records — the bulk of which were digitized and indexed from original documents on microfilm at the National Archive and Records Administration (NARA) — bring to life the stories and sacrifices of the millions of brave men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

“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. “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.”