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Schedule Description
These cards contain basic military service data on Utah residents who served in the armed forces. Most of the cards pertain to World War I and World War II veterans. There are also cards for Spanish-American War and Mexican border campaign veterans. Service records for those involved in the Korean War or the Vietnam War are infrequently represented. A 1942 executive order proclaimed the Historical Society to be the Department of War History and Archives and document Utahns' service in WWII. In 1957, registration of veterans' graves was assigned to the society, and the Military Records Section was added. Its function was expanded to collect all types of records about Utah veterans of any war and to act as a separate repository for
information about Utah veterans. There are two groups of cards which had been sorted on the basis of card size. The large cards (6" X 8") contain data almost entirely on World War veterans, but do include some peacetime service following World War II. The small cards (3" X 5") contain mostly cards of World War II veterans but also those for veterans of other wars.
Scope and Content
These cards contain basic military service data on Utah residents who served in the armed forces. Most of the cards pertain to World War I and World War II veterans. There are also cards for Spanish American War and Mexican border campaign veterans. Service records for those involved in the Korean War or the Vietnam War are infrequently represented in this series. There are two groups which had been sorted on the basis of card size. The first group was recorded on 6 x 8 inch cards and contains data almost entirely on on World War veterans, but does include some peacetime service following World War II. The second group is on smaller 3 x 5 inch cards and contains mostly cards of World War II veterans, but also those for veterans of other wars.
In 1942, an executive order made the State Historical Society responsible for collecting and keeping a record of all Utahns serving in the armed forces during World War II. In 1957 a separate section, the Military Records Section, was created to keep a record of all veterans buried in the state, to collect all types of records about Utah veterans from any source, and to act as a separate repository for information about Utah veterans. Cards on Spanish American War, Mexican border campaign, and World War I veterans were added after this date. In 1965, the section was integrated into the larger archives. Subsequent efforts to add data to the card files were not comprehensive: Cards for Korean War or Vietnam War veterans depend on what discharge forms or news clippings trickled into the archives over the years. In the case of World War II veterans, in particular, each may be represented by more than one type of card. Cards can often be found in both the large and small sets for veterans of this war; the data recorded is basically the same but the large card asked for a few more items of military history and personal data.
World War I cards: Most of these cards were furnished to the state by the Adjutant General's Office of the War Department. The cards list name, serial number, race, residence, induction place and date, birthplace and birthdate or age, units served in with dates of assignments and transfers, grades with date of appointment, engagements, wounds or other injuries received in action, dates of overseas service, discharge date, percent disability, and remarks. The Brigadier General, Adjutant and Inspector of the U.S. Marine Corps furnished separate but virtually identical cards.
Red cards were furnished if the individual died while in service. The information is the same, except instead of discharge date and disability , the form lists cause and date of death and name, relationship, and address of the individual notified of the death.
World War II cards: Preprinted cards provide 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 cards: 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 October 1948, 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.
World War II cards: These cards are the most frequent in this group. The forms contain the local board number; individual's name and usually his race; his rank or grade; serial number; branch of service; the date and place enlisted, inducted, or commissioned; date and place of termination of service; date and place of birth; parents name and address; next of kin; marital status and if applicable, wife's name and address. Although the wording was geared toward servicemen, information on WAVEs, WACs, military nurses and other female personnel are also included. Military history was recorded on the back. This history may include dates, company, and place of overseas service; decorations and citations awarded; type of discharge and location of separation base, etc.
Some cards serve as indices to newspaper articles; presumably those clipped by society staff and pasted into scrapbooks. These were the first cards prepared in response to Governor Maw's executive order. A person who was killed had a red star at the top of his card, wounded individual's got a blue star, those liberated from captivity got gold stars, an orange star was for an individual missing and later found, a green star was for an individual taken prisoner. The words "Killed," "Wounded," "Missing," and so forth were also typed across the top of the card. In addition to the information found on the other World War II cards, these usually give brief biographical information. Biographical information would often include high school attended, employment, church or activity group membership, additional kin, and if killed, place of funeral service and burial. Dates of newspaper articles, including obituaries, are cited. Separate cards may contain only the individual's name and branch of service along with the citation for a scrapbook and newspaper clipping. An occasional card may contain a request for service information (AD-R-20) in which the Utah Selective Services Office sent a checklist requesting certain types of service data from the army.
Spanish American War cards: There are three main types of cards dealing with Spanish American war veterans. Typed cards usually give the individual's name, rank, enlistment date and place, unit, mustering date and place, and mustering out date and place. Preprinted cards were completed with the same information, plus they list birthplace, residence, occupation, and name and address of next of kin. Remarks, such as place and dates of special duty or changes in rank might be added to the back. The third type of card relating primarily to Spanish American war veterans are individuals receiving state appropriations. These include only name, address, and date of appropriation. The name might be that of the veteran or of his widow receiving the allotment. The allotments do not always specify when the veteran served, and may include allotments to territorial militia members or others.
Other Veteran and non-Veteran cards: Cards for other veterans are less frequent in the group. Perhaps the next most frequent are for those veterans of the the Mexican border campaign. These give the individual's name, rank, enlistment dated, unit, and place and date of mustering out.
World War I cards are rare in this group. These are usually short obituaries glued to index cards. These were usually later deaths, rather than service related deaths.
Korean War veterans cards are equally rare. These usually give no more than the individual's name and address. Vietnam War veteran cards are virtually non- existent . Some are part of grave registration and note only name, birthplace, and cemetery location. They may also include obituaries or other newspaper clippings glued to index cards. Peacetime military service is also infrequently noted in the form of clippings glued to cards.
Because the Military Record's section project included graves registration, burial places may be recorded on separate cards. These infrequent listings include not only military burials (particular war service, if any, not noted) but those of prisoners of war and civilians buried in military cemeteries , most frequently Fort Douglas. Civilians sometimes include children of military personnel, but in other cases the connection is not noted.
Notes
Two groups exist which are based on size of card. Cards are alphabetical by surname and then given name of veteran within each group. There may be more than one card per individual. An addendum reel, A-W, appears at the end of the series and covers those cards located after the initial filming.
On reel 79, there is a gap from Jensen, Boyd C. to Jibson, Wallace.
Cards once formed multiple series but were merged in the 1960s in a space and research-time saving measure. Cards were resorted by Archives staff in 1989, removing microform records, militia cards, or those unrelated to military service. The cards were filmed in 1989-1990. The originals were then discarded. Archival processing was completed in 1990. Filming of an addendum batch was completed in 2001.
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. The order requested all citizens to send the names, biographical sketches, photographs, war service newspaper clippings, etc. to the historical society to add to the archives. From this information, the society staff began a name index of all service people. To create a more comprehensive listing, the staff also worked with the local offices of the Selective Service Board and branches of the U.S. military to abstract data from enlistment and discharge records. In 1957, with the creation of the Military Records Section and the transfer of graves registration, the Section worked with veterans groups and conducted cemetery surveys to collect additional information.
After the section was integrated into the larger archives in 1965, data collection was less systematic, depending less on soliciting materials and more on voluntary contributions.
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. The order requested all citizens to send the names, biographical sketches, photographs, war service newspaper clippings, etc. to the historical society to add to the archives. From this information, the society staff began a name index of all service people. To create a more comprehensive listing, the staff also worked with the local offices of the Selective Service Board and branches of the U.S. military to abstract data from enlistment and discharge records.??In 1957, with the creation of the Military Records Section and the transfer of graves registration, the Section worked with veterans groups and conducted cemetery surveys to collect additional information. The Veterans Administration Hospital, Vital Statistics, and various mortuaries also provided data. The Section subscribed to newspapers around the state and noted obituaries or service articles. By 1960, many of the State Adjutant General's Office records reverted to the Military Records Section. In addition, the Section contacted the Quartermaster General, National Archives, Federal Adjutant General, etc. to obtain as much military data as possible.??After the section was integrated into the larger archives in 1965, data collection was less systematic, depending less on soliciting materials and more on voluntary contributions.