Arizona Military Records

Arizona Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

Record Types

Adoption Bible Records Biography Cemeteries Census Church Records Colonial Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property Livestock Brands Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Online Collections Periodicals Probate Records School Records Taxation Vital Records Voter Records Water Records

Arizona Background

Biography Further Reading Gazetteers History Maps Migration

Cultural Groups

African Americans Indigenous Peoples Cultural Groups Swedish American

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Find a family history center

United States

U.S. Military Records

Arizona

Military Records

United States Military Online Genealogy Records

Fort Huachuca

Online resources

United States Military Online Genealogy Records provides more links for nationwide military record collections.

• ca.1918-ca.1989 Arizona, Military Discharge Records, ca.1918 - ca.1989 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
• 1940-1945 Arizona, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945, index and images.
• Korean Conflict State-Level Casualty Lists - Arizona
• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Arizona
• Vietnam Conflict State-Level Casualty Lists - Arizona

Forts and Camps

Military forts and camps were established by the  military authorized by the federal govenment, built to house and maintain the military who were to assist in maintianing the peace by enforcing treaties and providing protection to settlers.

• Fort Apache -- Textual records of this fort, 1870-1920, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Barrett -- Textual records of this fort, 1862, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Bear Springs
• Fort Bonito
• Fort Bowie -- begun in 1862 as a post for the U.S. Army in its battles against the Chiricahua Apaches, led by Cochise and Geronimo. One of its major functions was to protect the spring at Apache Pass. The fort was abandoned in 1894. It is currently a National Historic Site. Textual records of this fort, 1862-1894, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Breckinridge 1860 - was first called Fort Arivaypa, but soon changed to Fort Breckinridge.  It was later called Fort Stanford.Then in the Civil War it was called Fort Grant.
• Fort Buchanan 1856
• Camp Calabasas
• Fort Crittenden
• Fort Defiance 1851 (Fort Camby) -- (For additional history of this fort, see its history online.)
• Camp Douglas or Camp Harry J. Jones 
• Camp Emmet Crawford (1886)
• Fort Fauntleroy -- Original name of Fort Lyon. Also known as Fort Wingate.
• Fort Goodwin
• Fort Grant -- Textual records of this fort, 1869-1905, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
• Camp Hualapai
• Fort Huachuca -- built in 1877 to counter the attacks upon settlers by the Chiricahua Apaches, led by Geronimo (1877-1886). It was a forward post during the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916-1917. It was the home for the Buffalo Soldiers for twenty years. The fort remains in service as a post of the U.S. Army. (For additional history of this fort, see the Fort Huachuca Historical Museum site and its National Parks site.) Textual records of this fort, 1878-1913, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Lowell -- Textual records of this fort, 1865-1891, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Lyon- Also Fort Fauntleroy and Fort Wingate.
• Fort McDowell -- in California
• Fort Mason
• Fort Mojave 1859 -- Textual records of this fort, 1859-1890, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7). Letters sent from Fort Mojave, 1859-1880, have been microfilmed on 2 rolls and are part of National Archives Microcopy T838.
  
• Camp Newell - also known as Camp Naco.
• Post of San Carlos -- Textual records of this fort, 1874-1900, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Thomas -- Textual records of this fort, 1876-1891, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
• Camp Tucson - Renamed to Camp Lowell
• Fort Verde-- Textual records of this fort, 1866-1891, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7). These records have been microfilmed on 11 rolls and are part of National Archives Microcopy M1076.
  Available through the Family History Library Film 169552 (first film of 11)
• Fort Wallen
• Whipple Barracks -- Textual records of this fort, 1863-1898, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Wingate -- in New Mexico
• Fort Yuma -- in California

References

Forts of the West, Military Forts and Presidios and Post Commonly Called Forts West of the Mississippi River to 1898. by Robert W. Frazer. Norman University of Oklahoma Press C. 1972 Library of Congress Number 65-24196

Encyclopedia of Indian Wars Western Batttles and Skirmishes, 1850-1890. by Gregory F. Michno.  Mountain Press Publishing Co. Missoula, Montana C. 2003 ISBN 0-87842-468-7

Mexican War (1846-1848)

The Mexican War was caused by the annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845. Most volunteer regiments were from southern states. Records of Mexican War veterans might exist in a state where the veteran later resided.

• Mexican War Index to Pension Files, 1887–1926. (NARA T317). FHL films 0537000–13 Alphabetically arranged and includes the veteran’s name, rank, and unit; names of dependents; date of filing and application; certificate numbers; act filed under; and state from which application was made. Also available at:
  

• United States, Mexican War Pension Index, 1887-1926 (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. (How to use this collection.)
  

• Robarts, William Hugh. Mexican War Veterans : A Complete Roster of the Regular and Volunteer Troops in the War Between the United States and Mexico, from 1846-1848… Washington, D.C. : Brentano’s, 1887. FHL book 973 M2rwh Digital version available at Internet Archive.
  

Click on these links to learn more about the Mexican War and about Mexican War pension records.

Civil War (1861 to 1865)

Arizona and New Mexico Territories 1863

See Arizona in the Civil War for information about Arizona Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Arizona regiments involved in the Civil War.

The regimental pages often include lists of the companies with links to the counties where the companies started. Men in the companies often lived in the counties where the companies were raised. Knowing a county can help when researching more about the soldiers and their families.

• The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System allows name searching for soldiers. The result set gives the regiments for the soldiers. Then you can check the Wiki regiment pages to determine counties. Often knowing the counties that had men in a regiment will help you determine if a soldier was your ancestor.

• 1861 - 1865 - Arizona Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Also check: Arizona Service Records of Confederate Soldiers of the Civil War at Family Search Historical Records

Indian Wars (1780s-1890s)

Soldiers who served at military posts can be located by searching Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914. These enlistment registers are available at the Family History Library (beginning with Family History Library film 350307). These include data on the soldier's name, physical description, age, occupation, and birthplace.

Two indexes are available for pension records: Old War Pension Index (1815-1926) and Index to Indian Wars (1892-1926). Both of these indexes are available at the Family History Library and at the National Archives. These indexes are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under UNITED STATES - MILITARY RECORDS.

• A history of military forts is Ray Brandes, Frontier Military Posts of Arizona. Globe, Arizona: Dale S. King, 1960. (Family History Library 979.1 M2b). There is a map of army installations, 1849-1886, on Family History Library fiche 6017659.

Spanish-American War (1898)

The Spanish-American War was largely fought in Cuba and the Philippines. Spanish-American War records might exist in the state from which the soldier served or in a state where the veteran later resided.

Indexes

• United States, General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 (NARA T288). (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. The index covers veterans of the Civil War, Spanish‑American War, Philippine Insurrection, Boxer Rebellion (1900 to 1901), and the regular Army, Navy, and Marine forces. (Learn more.)

• United States, Index to Service Records, War with Spain, 1898 (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. (How to use this collection.)

Click on the link to learn more about the Spanish American War.

World War I (1917-1918)

World War I was a global war fought on multiple continents with several nations involved. Over four million men and women served from the United States.

• United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images

• United States, YMCA World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images

• 1917-1919 - United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — index

• 1917-1940 - United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940 at FamilySearch — index

United States World War I Draft Records provides additional information.

• Apache County, Military Enrollment List, 1917

World War II (1941-1945)

Draft Registrations

• Arizona, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945

Fourth Registration

• On April 27, 1942, the Selective Service conducted the fourth of six draft registrations related to WWII. The "World War II Selective Service Draft Cards: Fourth Registration, 1942" is often referred to as the “Old Man’s Registration” or the “Old Man’s Draft" because it included men with a date of birth from April 28, 1877 to February 16, 1897. Since there is overlap in the WWI and WWII Selective Service registration, men born in the years 1877 to 1900 may have registered twice and have both WWII and WWI draft records.

• United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 (Image Browse) (FamilySearch) - free
• United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 (images with partial index) (FamilySearch) - free

Also available at:

• Ancestry ($)
• Fold3 ($).

World War II United States Military Records provides additional information.

Relocation Records

• 1942-1946 - United States, War Relocation Authority centers, final accountability rosters, 1942-1946 at FamilySearch — index and images

Korean War (1950–1953)

The Korean War was a conflict between North Korea (and its communist allies) and South Korea (with support of the United Nations, primarily the United States). See the Korean War wiki article for information on records and their availability.

• Korean Conflict Casualty File. US Military Personnel who died from Hostile Action( including missing and captured) in the Korean War, 1950-1957. National Archives

Vietnam War (1964–1972)

The Vietnam War was a conflict between North Vietnam (and its communist allies) and South Vietnam (with support of its anti-communist allies, including the United States). See the Vietnam War wiki article for information on records and their availability.

• Frances Arthur Hortsch. Arizona's Memorial to Vietnam Veterans. Phoenix, Arizona: Phoenix Genealogical Society,1987. FHL 979.1 M2hf

Additional Military Records

Additional military records are at the Department of Libraries, Archives and Public Records.

The Arizona Rangers

Websites

• Veterans Service Records at National Archives
• Arizona Memory Project at Arizona Department of Libraries, Archives and Public Records. The Arizona Memory Project provides access to the wealth of primary sources in Arizona libraries, archives, museums and other cultural institutions. Visitors to the site will find some of the best examples of government documents, photographs, maps, and objects that chronicle Arizona's past and present.
  
• American Wars
• New Horizons Genealogy

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.