WWII Draft Registration cards are records that contain personal information that can prove invaluable to researchers. President Roosevelt signed into law the first peacetime Selective Service Act in 1940 before the U.S. was actively engaged in the Second World War. The SSA was established as tensions increased across the globe. The system required all men ages 21 to 36 to register. 45 million men registered and over 10 million were inducted into the service between 1940 and 1946. It enabled the U.S. military to supply the necessary wartime manpower that was needed after the attack on Pearl Harbor and on other fronts.
Old Man’s Draft
Beginning in 1940, the resurrected Selective Service Act conducted 6 draft registrations. The fourth registration is often referred to as “The Old Man’s Draft”. This required men between the ages of 45 and 65 to fill out the draft registration cards, but they were not eligible for military service. This registration was to establish the available manpower that could be used for national service during wartime.
The front of the draft registration card contains valuable information such as:
- full name
- address
- birthdate and place of birth
- name of a person close to you and their relationship to you (often a mother or wife)
- employer information
The back of the draft registration card is my favorite part of this card. It gives a description of the registrant, including race, eye color, hair color, complexion, and height and weight. These are personal bits of information about our ancestors that bring them to life. My grandfather passed away when my dad was a boy, so I didn’t know him. When I found his draft card I saw that my grandfather was 5’6″ tall. When I mentioned it to my dad, he responded, “yeah, that’s why his nickname was SHORTY!”, and that triggered hours of stories about “Shorty” that I had never heard before.
If you want to get some personal information about a recent ancestor, don’t bypass the WWII Draft Registration Cards! These records are held at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO. You can also find these records online at several of the big genealogy sites.
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