Common questions

Where can I find ww2 draft cards?

Where can I find ww2 draft cards?

The complete series of draft registration cards for the World War II era,1940-1947, from Record Group 147, Records of the Selective Service System, has been scanned and transcribed. These nearly 38 million cards are available at Ancestry.com. See https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2238/ for details.

How do I get a copy of my draft card?

Check Your Selective Service Registration The letter and card are your Selective Service proof of registration. If you don’t receive the letter and card within 90 days, or if you need a replacement card, call 1-847-688-6888 and follow the prompts. Choose the option for receiving your own Selective Service number.

How do I find draft cards?

Locating Originals: The original draft cards are held by each state’s National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Regional Branch. All of these cards are also available on microfilm from the Family History Library (FHL) and/or NARA.

What is a draft registration card?

These draft registration cards were used by the Selective Service to identify registrants, classify the registrants for military service, and determine the order in which registrants would be called for service. Those who volunteered or those who were already in the military did not register.

Is there still a draft registration?

Yes, you are still required to register with Selective Service. Virtually all men must register with Selective Service, even those who believe they’ll be exempt from serving. In the event of a draft, men called for induction would be able to make a claim for deferments, postponements, or exemption from serving.

Who had to register for the draft in WWII?

On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States’ history.

What is a military registration card?

The registration cards consist of approximately 24,000,000 cards of men who registered for the draft, (about 23% of the population in 1918). It is important to note that not all of the men who registered for the draft actually served in the military and not all men who served in the military registered for the draft.

Do they still send draft cards?

No, but Registration Acknowledgement cards are. The last time a man was drafted was in 1973. It would require an act of Congress to reinstate the draft. Most Americans over the age of 30 remember the “draft card” which Selective Service issued to each man at the time he registered.

What were draft cards used for?

INTRODUCTION. The Viet Nam era draft card is also known by its legal description, the status card. The draft card was an aspect of the Selective Service Act, the federal legislation that legalized the conscription of eligible males into the American armed services during the Viet Nam war (1962–1973).

Does the draft still exist in 2020?

The Selective Service System is a direct result of the Selective Service Act of 1917. Although the draft doesn’t exist in 2020, all men, whether U.S. citizens or immigrants, between the ages of 18 to 26 are required to register with the Selective Service System.

How do you register for the military?

Registering for the draft is very easy, and does not require you to visit a military office. You can register for the selective service by simply filling out a form online, at school or at the post office.

What is military draft record?

Military draft records can include those who served, as well many who were drafted but never called to service. By the same token, those who enlisted or were already in the service at the time of the conflict will not be found in draft collections.

How does the military draft work?

Military Draft. The Selective Service System is tasked with preparing to manage a military draft if and when Congress and the President so direct. The Selective Service System has not received such an order, but will maintain its readiness as required by law.

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Ruth Doyle