State Historical Society Selective service cards, i 1940-1957.

These cards contain basic information on the military service of Utah veterans. Preprinted cards utilized by the Utah State Historical Society summarize data for World War II veterans. Cards collected by the state director for selective service, later passed to the military records section of the society, provide entry data for those serving after the end of the war. Cards reporting service in the Marines or any service during World War I are not included in this series.

The genesis of this card file can be traced to an executive order by Governor Maw in September 1942. Under the order, the Utah State Historical Society was proclaimed to be the Department of War History and Archives, responsible for collecting and keeping a record of all Utahns serving in the armed forces during World War II. As part of this effort, they contacted the local offices of the federal Selective Service System and all branches of the U.S. military. Military service data was abstracted onto cards fromenlistment and discharge records. After the war, the project was continued, including cards turned over to the society directly from the local selective service boards.

World War II: Preprinted cards provide blanks for local board number, name, serial number, address, spouse, address of spouse, date of birth, race, sex, birthplace, length of Utah residence prior to entering service, name and address of father, name and address of mother, years of schooling and name of school, enlistment date and place, discharge date and place, branch of service, date left for overseas, unit or division, name and date of awards and promotions, and former employment or brief biography. The cards were not always completed in full.

Peacetime Service: Most of these cards are entitled "Report of Home Address at Time of Last Entry into Service." The form was to be completed for all personnel in the active armed forces, Coast Guard, and Public Health Service as of midnight 31 October 1948. After 31 October1948, the form was to be completed for personnel upon entrance to active duty. It was not completed for those inducted under the Selective Service Act of 1948. The form was then mailed to the State Director for Selective Service to allow for credits against quotas for each Local Board Area. The form gave name; state; county; town; street address; grade, rank, or rating; serial number; race; branch of service; and if registered under the 1948 selective service act, the local board number, state, county, and selective service number. A blank was provided for the service person's signature. By 1952, the form was updated and blanks for birthdate and date of entry into active service were added.

Occasionally, reports of separation are included. These cards provide blanks for the individual's name, rank, race, date of entry, branch, serial number, home address at time of entry, discharge date and type, cause of discharge, and local selective service board number and location, along withthe signature of the reporting officer. The cards filmed are the copies sent to the local board. Rarely, the complete discharge paper is filmed. The paper includes the same information plus birthplace, physical description, marital status, educational background, civilian occupation, and complete military service record.