Genealogy 101

Research at the National Archives

World War II Army Enlistment Records, created, 6/1/2002 – 9/30/2002, documenting the period ca. 1938 – 1946

This series contains records of approximately nine million men and women who enlisted in the United States Army, including the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. Although incomplete, the records contain data for a majority of the enlistments in the United States Army during World War II. The bulk of the records conform to the format found on War Department Adjutant General’s Office (WD AGO) Form 317 (Enlistment Card) for the period ca. 1941-1945, and WD AGO Form 372 (Enlistment Card) for ca. 1945-1946. Additional records contain data originally recorded on Enlisted Reserve Corps (E.R.C.) Statistical cards. In general, the records contain the serial number, name, state and county of residence, place of enlistment, date of enlistment, grade, Army branch, term of enlistment, longevity, nativity (place of birth), year of birth, race, education, civilian occupation, marital status, height and weight (before 1943), military occupational specialty (1945 and later), component, and box and reel number of the microfilmed punch cards.