For a printable version of the page, which includes the Internet links for the websites listed, click here for an Adobe Acrobat file.

A: Many of the documents in this repository are available as Portable Document Format (PDF) files. If you do not have the latest Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, go here to download the free Adobe Reader. The problem may be that, although you downloaded the latest version of the free Adobe Acrobat "Reader" software, you did not install it; or, you are using an obsolete version of Acrobat Reader. The specific installation procedures will vary depending on the setup of your individual browser and computer system. If you are using Adobe Acrobat version 7 and are still having problems, please send a message describing the problems you are encountering to the AHECWebmaster. An Email message will not automatically produce an immediate response. (RESEARCH INQUIRIES ARE NOT ACCEPTED by the USAHEC Webmaster. If you submit a research question to the USAHEC Webmaster, you will not receive a reply).

A: Depending on the war or campaign of interest, the information we have on a specific unit varies greatly. The U.S. Army Military History Institute (USAMHI) is not a repository for official unit records, rosters, or morning reports, which are held by the National Archives and Records Administration (see below). Generally, for each major war, we can suggest/identify materials most likely to provide information about the unit in question. In some cases, we will not have any information on a specific unit. Requests which concern the service of a relative or ancestor are answered by our volunteer staff. Due to the increasing numbers of such requests, response times are increasing, and can vary from weeks to six months. Official inquiries will be answered first, and family history inquiries will be answered as our volunteer resources permit. You are welcome to hire local researchers.

A: USAMHI maintains an extensive collection of unit histories. Bibliographies for such histories can be accessed online at: Resource Guides/Finding Aids. Look under "Reference Bibliographies". Once a history has been identified you can contact your local library to inquire about interlibrary loan possibilities. You may also wish to investigate out-of-print book dealers to purchase such items. Note that many of the unit histories are not available for interlibrary loan due to their rarity and/or condition.

A: The information we hold about specific people is variable; in most cases it may simply be name in an index, unit roster, unit yearbook, or unit history. Our biographical files contain miscellaneous information about a limited number of senior leaders, mostly general officers. USAMHI does not hold information about birth dates, parentage, descendents, medical records, service records, or award orders, except in the rare instance in which we hold that person's personal papers, or a biography exists. Family history inquiries are answered by our volunteer staff. Due to the increasing numbers of such requests, response times are increasing, and can vary from weeks to six months. Official inquiries will be answered first, and family history inquiries will be answered as our volunteer resources permit. You are welcome to hire local researchers.

A: You should start by identifying the unit with which your relative served. If you already have that information, then you should check for unit histories or look into the official records created by the unit itself. If you do not know the unit to which they were assigned, then you should try to obtain a copy of your relative's personnel records to determine that information (see below).

A: For some time periods we have alphabetical listings of Army personnel but, for the most part, we cannot take a name and place it in a unit. The best resources we have for such a search are for the Civil War; however, even for this war, the reference tools vary greatly from state to state in coverage and quality. We also have alphabetical lists of names of persons who filed for pensions based upon service in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War and Regular Army service in the Indian Wars. We do not have any such inventories or lists of personnel from later conflicts, the World Wars, Korea, Vietnam or the Gulf War.

A: The Institute does not possess individual military service records of soldiers from any time period. Such records of soldiers (enlisted personnel through October 1912 and officers prior to July 1917) are on file at the National Archives and Records Administration, Textual Archives Services Division, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001. Copies of extant pension and service records can be purchased from that agency. A search for information on these records should begin by clicking this link. If they were not destroyed by a 1973 fire, records of enlisted personnel after October 1912 and officers after June 1917 are in the custody of the National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. Information concerning required procedures and forms are available at this link.

A: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the official custodian of the records that have been retired by the U.S. Army. General information on records can be found on that agency's website at this link.Records are held at two different physical locations, determined by the time period in question:

Prior to 1939:

Military Reference Branch National Archives and Records Administration 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20408-0001 Tel. 202-501-5430/ 1-866-272-6272

From 1939 onward, including units that served in Southeast Asia:

Modern Military Records National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road College Park, MD 20740-6001 Tel. 301-837-3510

A: Certain unit rosters and morning reports have been detached from the main body of unit records and placed in the custody of the: National Personnel Records Center (MPR), 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132. For information about these collections, visit their website by clicking here.

A: The American Battle Monuments Commission is responsible for the maintenance of permanent American military burial grounds in foreign countries. You can get additional information from the Commission's website by clicking here.

A: The U.S. Army Military History Institute does not maintain such information, and the release of personnel information is strictly governed by the Privacy Act. You might find the information you are seeking by placing an advertisement in veteran's magazines or a posting on veteran's websites which have special reunion columns. Another possibility would be to use one of the free "People Finders" search engines available through the internet.

A: Maps pertaining to the history of the Army are found in the National Archives and the Library of Congress. USAMHI map holdings are very limited and can be used only on-site. USAMHI does not acquire general-purpose maps. For on-line campaign maps of American wars, go to the US Military Academy History Department by clicking here.

A: The Institute possesses some material on the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which was located at Carlisle Barracks from 1879 to 1918, and founded by Richard H. Pratt, U.S. Army (whose papers are held by the Yale Library). Our holdings include books, journal articles, files, some of the many newspapers created by students (paper, microfilm, and on CD), school catalogs, 18 boxes of papers (mostly small pamphlets and publications), and photographs. These materials are of only limited use in research concerning specific students. Other locations of materials about the Indian School include:

(1) The National Archives, where the school's administrative and student records, which include more detailed and comprehensive by-name lists of students, are held in Record Group 75 (Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs). Contact the Old Military and Civil Records (NWCTB), National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001; phone 202-501-5395. A description of these records can be found by clicking here.

(2) The Cumberland County Historical Society, 21 North Pitt Street, Carlisle, (717) 249-7610, which holds additional materials, including photographs.

(3) The Library of Dickinson College, Carlisle, (717) 245-1397;

(4) The Still Picture Branch of the Library of Congress, Washington, DC

(5) The Division of Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

A: USAMHI is a repository for unofficial historical materials pertaining to the history of the U.S. Army. CMH manages the Army Historical Program and prepares official histories of the Army. The Chief of Military History is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff, Army, for all historical matters. CMH also is responsible for determination of the lineage and honors of Army units and oversees the Army museum system. The Center of Military History homepage is an outstanding resource for Army history.

A:

• U.S. Army General Officers
• Role of Women & Ethnic/Racial Groups in the Army
• Decorations, Patches and Flags
• U.S. Army Campaigns & Casualties
• Integration of the U.S. Army
• Holidays & Commemorations
• Army National Guard
• Birthdays and/or unit days of the U.S. Army Divisions
• Birthdays of the U.S. Army and its component branches
• Oaths of enlistment and oaths of office in the U.S. Army
• "D" signify in D-Day, and the "H" signify in H-Hour
• Research sources for NIKE Air Defense Missile Sites
• Origin of the 21-gun salute
• Difference between artillery shrapnel and shell fragments
• First soldier to accomplish a given task, such as entering Berlin in World War II, first killed on D-Day, or who was the "wealthiest," "youngest," or "oldest" soldier in U.S. Army history?
• How can I locate a U.S. Army veteran?

A: For individuals still in the Army, the Military Awards Branch, Human Resources Command, is the proponent. Information concerning procedures to request such information can be found by clicking here. For individuals no longer in the Army, requests should be directed to the National Personnel Records Center, Medals Section (NRPMA-M), 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200. Information concerning procedures to request such information can be found by clicking here.

A: The proponent for awards to Army units is the Military Awards Branch, Total Army Personnel Command. Information concerning the procedures to request such information can be found by clicking here. Look under both "Awards and Decorations" AND "Frequently Asked Questions".

A: The proponent for all heraldic items, flags, patches, insignia, etc., is The Institute of Heraldry, 9325 Gunston Road, Room S-112, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5579. You can visit the website for the Institute by clicking here.

A: The U.S. Army Human Resources Command has information on the Cold War Recognition Program and handles requests for the Cold War Certificate by clicking here.

A: U.S. Army photographs and motion pictures created prior to 1988 are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001. You may be able to access additional information about these holdings from the National Archives and Records Administration website by clicking here. Official photographs and videos pertaining to the U.S. Army after 1987 are in the custody of the Defense Visual Information Center, 1363 Z Street Center, March Air Force Base, CA 92518-2727.

A: There are several links on the Center of Military History website. Go there by clicking here. The site includes information that deals with Army casualties:

• Casualties in Operation URGENT FURY (Grenada 1983)
• Operation JUST CAUSE (Panama 1989-1990)
• General Casualty Statistics
• Number of Army Personnel who Served During Each Major War, and the Number of Casualties Incurred
• Number of U.S. Army Casualties Incurred in Recent Operations
• World War II, Korea and Vietnam Casualties Listed by State

A: For information contact: Office of the Clerk of Court U.S. Army Judiciary ATTN: JALS-CCO 901 North Stuart Street Suite 1200 Arlington, VA 22203-1837 Telephone: (703) 588-7920; FAX: (703) 696-8777

A: Go to: Resource Guides/Finding Aids. Look under "Reference Bibliographies", click on "Subject Bibliographies", and select "Generals."

A: Go to the Center of Military History website by clicking this link.

A: The U. S. Army Homepage

A: USAMHI has little information on other services. Their own historical agencies are far better equipped to provide substantive information on them. These agencies can be contacted as follows:

U.S. Navy: Naval Historical Center Building 57 Washington Navy Yard Washington, DC 20374 http://www.history.navy.mil/ Specific ships (202) 433-3643 Information (202) 433-3634

U.S. Air Force: Air Force History Office AFHSO/HOS 200 McChord Street, Box 94 Bolling Air Force Base Washington, DC 20332-1111 http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/ (202) 404-2161

U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency 600 Chennault Circle Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6424 http://www.au.af.mil/au/afhra/ (334) 953-5834

U.S. Air Force Museum 1100 Spaatz Street Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7102 http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/ (937) 255-3286

U.S. Marine Corps: Marine Corps History Division 3079 Moreell Avenue Quantico, Virginia 22134 (703) 432-4877 http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD

U.S. Coast Guard: U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office http://www.uscg.mil/history/

A:

• U.S. Army - 14 June 1775
• U.S. Navy- 13 Oct 1775
• U.S. Marines- 10 Nov 1775
• U.S. Coast Guard- 28 Jan 1915 (Its predecessor the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service was established on 14 Aug 1790.)
• U.S. Air Force- 18 Sept 1947