Find the story of their service, from the records.
Type a veteran's name. We search the National Archives, Navy muster rolls, Army enlistment and casualty files, VA burial records and historic newspapers, then email you a private, illustrated report where every fact is cited.
Start a free search See example reports
- Every fact linked to its source
- Guesses clearly labeled
- Private by default
Three steps to their service records
You don't need paperwork. A name and a rough idea of when they served is enough to start.
Tell us what you know
A name, plus anything else you remember: branch, war, hometown, a ship or unit. Tick "Just a guess" next to anything you're unsure of.
Confirm your email
We send one confirmation link. Then our automatic search checks free public archives. Most reports are ready in a few minutes; at busy times yours waits in line, and at worst it arrives the next day. Nothing runs until you click it.
Get a private report
A map of where they went, a dated timeline, scans of original pages, photos of their ships and bases, and what to request next.
A private web page, plus a PDF to print
The short version
Who they were, their branch, rank and job in plain English, and how sure we are it's the right person.
Where and when
A map and dated timeline from the records: enlistment, units, ships, bases and, for those lost in service, where they fell.
The proof
Links and scans of the original pages, so you can check every line yourself. Guesses are marked "Likely".
What to get next
What we couldn't find and exactly how to get it free, including the official file from the National Personnel Records Center.
See what a report looks like
Two everyday soldiers like most families search for, and one well-known case. Your report is private unless your family chooses to share it.
Cpl. Larry E. Slaughter
Another Ochiltree County soldier, with even less online. One official record carries this report: the Defense Department casualty file at the National Archives. It gives his rank…
Read the example report ▸LCpl. Patrick E. Broderick
A Chicago Marine. The casualty file gives his rank (lance corporal), his job (assaultman: the Marine who carries rockets and demolitions for knocking out bunkers) and his death in action in…
Read the example report ▸Cpl. Mitchell Red Cloud Jr.
A Ho-Chunk soldier from Hatfield, Wisconsin, Red Cloud served with the Marine Raiders in World War II and later joined the Army. Near Chonghyon, Korea, on 5 November 1950, he warned his…
Read the example report ▸Records first. Guesses labeled.
How we work
Public sources only
Archives, government databases and public-domain photos. Never people-search or data-broker sites. No addresses or phone numbers.
Accuracy you can check
Matches are labeled Confirmed, Probable or Possible. "Likely" lines are informed guesses and say so. Original scans are included.
Private by default
Reports live at a long random link that isn't indexed. We never ask for a Social Security number, and inputs and reports are deleted 12 months after delivery.
Independent
Not affiliated with the VA, National Archives or Department of Defense. Not an official record. Official copies come from the National Personnel Records Center via SF-180: free to veterans and next of kin, or a $25–$70 copy fee for files over 62 years old.
Where did they serve?
Short histories, period photos and timelines for ships, training fields and units, with a search for anyone who served there.