Alaska Military Records

United States U.S. Military Alaska Military Records

800px-Fort Selkirk Yukon.jpg

The United States Military Records Wiki article provides more information on federal military records and search strategies.

Military records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives.

U.S. servicemen have been in Alaska since 1867, when Alaska was placed under the jurisdiction of the War Department. Most of these soldiers were from the lower 48 states. The Family History Library has enlistment registers for the regular army, 1798 to 1914 FHL film 350307 (first film.) Also found on line in FamilySearch Historical Records United States, Civil War Soldiers Index; United States, Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914. The registers provide the soldier's name, rank, unit, commanders, physical description, occupation, and birthplace. The records are arranged by year and by the first letter of the surname.

Forts

A historical sketch of forts in Alaska is in Bruce Grant, American Forts Yesterday and Today (New York, NY: E. P. Dutton Co., 1965; FHL book 973 H2gb.)

• Fort Mims
• Fort Patrick Henry
• Fort St. Michael -- Also known as Fort Archangel Michael, Fort Archangel Gabriel, Fort New Archangel, or Novo Archangelesk and finally the fort was renamed Post of Sitka (Fort Sitka).  Textual records of this fort, 1867-1877, 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 Selkirk

World War I (1917-1918)

• United States. Selective Service System. Alaska, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1987-1988. FHL films 1473296–1473299 These cards have been digitized and are searchable online at United States, WW I Draft Registration Cards. See WWI Draft Records for more information.

World War II (1941-1945)

For sailors from Alaska who died in World War II, see Volume 2 of Combat Connected Naval Casualties, World War II, by States, Two Volumes. (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1946; FHL film 1440393 item 1; book 973 M23un

A national cemetery with about 500 graves is located at Sitka (see Alaska Cemeteries).

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.

Web Sites

• Alaska Military Records
• epodunk.com
• FamilyMilitaryRecords.com
• The Civil War Pension Index Cards Collection, United States, Old War Pension Index, 1815-1926 has a few pension cards for servicemen, from Alaska, who served in the military during the early 1900s.

References

Alaska. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department,1998, 2001.