The veteran in your family has a story. Find it this week.
Almost every family has one: a grandfather who didn't talk about the war, a mother who served stateside, an uncle whose Navy photos sit in a shoebox. This Veterans Day, take ten minutes to find out more.
Three ways to honor them this week
1. Look them up
Enter a name and what you know. We'll email you a private, illustrated report with a timeline, a map and sources you can check. It's free. See example reports first.
2. Ask them
If your veteran is living, Veterans Day is a natural time to ask. Try a few of these:
- Where did you go for basic training? What was it like?
- What was your job? Who were your friends?
- Where were you stationed? What do you remember about the place?
- What did you eat? What did you do on a day off?
- What's something people get wrong about your service?
- Is there anything you'd like the grandkids to know?
Write down the answers, or record them on a phone. The Library of Congress Veterans History Project accepts interviews from families.
3. Fill in the family worksheet
A one-page printable worksheet with boxes for name, branch, dates, units, ships, places and stories. Bring it to Thanksgiving and let everyone add what they know.
Getting their official records
Official records are free from the National Archives for veterans and next of kin. Our plain-English guides walk you through it:
- How to get a DD-214
- What the 1973 fire means for your family
- How to request records for a veteran who has died
For teachers
Activity: "The Veteran in My Family" (grades 5–12; one class period plus homework). No account or email needed.
- Ask (homework). Interview a family member about a veteran in the family, living or deceased, using the questions above.
- Record. Fill in the family worksheet: name, branch, dates, places, one story.
- Map it (class). Mark where the veteran served on a world or U.S. map.
- Share (optional). One sentence each: "My ___ served in ___ as a ___."
No student data is collected. Families may use the search at home (an adult's email is required). The example reports are built only from public records and can be used in class.
Veteran Records Finder is free and independent. We're not affiliated with the VA, the National Archives or the Department of Defense. Reports are private unless you share them.