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Introduction

This reference report provides an overview of selected electronic data records in the custody of the National Archives directly relating to genealogy. Full descriptions of the series and data files listed in this report are in National Archives Catalog. Users can search the Catalog by title, National Archives Identifier, type of archival material, or keyword.

Some of the series and files listed in this report are accessible online:

Download - This is a link for downloading the files and documentation from the Catalog. For more details on downloading files, please review the frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Search - This is a link for searching the records via the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) resource.

All of the files are also available for a cost-recovery fee. For more information see: Ordering Information for Electronic Records.

I. Digital Records from the World War II Era

Record Group 38: Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

Records of Duty Locations for Naval Intelligence Personnel, 1942 - 1945
National Archives Identifier: 603333
Online Access: Download Search
This data file contains information about the military intelligence personnel attached to Naval Group China during World War II.

Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration

World War II Army Enlistment Records, 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002
National Archives Identifier: 604357
Online Access: Download Search
This file contains the records of approximately nine million enlistments in the United States Army, including the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, ca. 1938 through 1946. This file unit consists of two data tables:
- Enlistment Records: The Army Serial Number Enlistment Card Records table has records for almost 9 million men and women who enlisted in the Army and Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
- Reserve Corps Records: The Army Serial Number Reserve Corps Statistical Card Records table has records for approximately 300,000 reservists in the Enlisted Reserve Corps.

Record Group 210: Records of the War Relocation Authority

Records About Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II, 1988 - 1989
National Archives Identifier: 574045
Online Access: Download Search
This data file contains information about Japanese-Americans relocated to 10 camps during World War II by the War Relocation Authority (WRA).

Record Group 389: Records of the Office of the Provost Marshal General

Records of World War II Prisoners of War, 1942 - 1947
National Archives Identifier: 583428
Online Access: Download Search
During the Second World War, the Prisoner of War Information Bureau, Office of the Provost Marshal U.S. Army, produced a series of IBM punchcard records on U.S. military and civilian prisoners of war and internees, as well as for some Allied internees. These records were taken from lists of POWs routinely sent by the International Red Cross Committee in Bern, Switzerland.

Collection ADBC: Records of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor

World War II Prisoners of the Japanese Data Files, 4/2005 - 10/2007
National Archives Identifier: 731002
Online Access: Download Search
This series contains information on military personnel and a few civilians who were prisoners of the Japanese during World War II. The American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor compiled these records from the series "Records of World War II Prisoners of War, 1942-1947," the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor registration cards, unit rosters, and other sources.

II. Digital Records from the Korean War

Record Group 15: Records of the Veterans Administration

Records of Repatriated Korean War Prisoners of War, 1978 - 1980
National Archives Identifier: 583582
Online Access: Download Search
The Veterans Administration created this data file as part of its Study of Former Prisoners of War required by the Veterans' Disability Compensation and Survivors Benefits Act of 1978.

Record Group 319: Records of the Army Staff

Records of American Prisoners of War During the Korean War, 1950 - 1953
National Archives Identifier: 583429
Online Access: Download Search
This database has records for 4,714 U.S. military prisoners of war (POWs) during the Korean War. Some of the personnel identified in this series of records are identified as having died in captivity in the series "Records on Korean War Dead and Wounded Army Casualties, 1950-1970" or in the series, "Records of Military Personnel Who Died as a Result of Hostilities During the Korean War, ca. 1977 - 11/1979."

Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense

Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files, ca. 2001 - 4/29/2008
National Archives Identifier: 2163536
File Unit: Korean War Extract Data File, as of April 29, 2008, 6/28/1950 - 3/10/1954
Online Access: Download Search
This file contains records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or non-hostile occurrence or who were missing in action or prisoners of war in the Korean War. It is the successor to the series "Records of Military Personnel Who Died as a Result of Hostilities During the Korean War."

Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Files, ca. 2001 - 3/16/2009
National Archives Identifier: 4667739
Online Access: Download Search
This series contains records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or non-hostile occurrence in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, or War on Terrorism. These include the records of persons who were missing in action or prisoners of war in either the Korean War or the Vietnam War.

Records of Military Personnel Who Died as a Result of Hostilities During the Korean War, ca. 1977 - 11/1979
National Archives Identifier: 571686
Online Access: Download Search
This data file contains selected descriptive data about U.S. military personnel who died by hostile means (i.e. battle deaths) as a result of combat duty in the Korean War.

Record Group 407: Records of the Adjutant General's Office

Records on Korean War Dead and Wounded Army Casualties, 1950 - 1970
National Archives Identifier: 583580
Online Access: Download Search
This data file contains records of fatal and non-fatal Army casualties from the Korean Conflict including those of Army personnel who were prisoners of war or missing in action.

III. Digital Records from the Vietnam War

Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense

Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files, ca. 2001 - 4/29/2008
National Archives Identifier: 2163536
File Unit: Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File, as of April 29, 2008, 6/8/1956 - 5/28/2006
Online Access: Download Search
This file contains records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or non-hostile occurrence or who were missing in action or prisoners of war in the Vietnam Conflict, including casualties that occurred in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is the successor to the Combat Area Casualties Current Files (CACCF), which are part of the series "Records of Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam War."

Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Files, ca. 2001 - 3/16/2009
National Archives Identifier: 4667739
Online Access: Download Search
This series contains records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or non-hostile occurrence in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, or War on Terrorism. These include the records of persons who were missing in action or prisoners of war in either the Korean War or the Vietnam War.

Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam War, 1/20/1967 - 12/1998
National Archives Identifier: 306742
Online Access: Download Search
File Unit: Combat Area Casualties Current File, 6/8/1956-1/21/1998
This file contains records of U.S. military personnel who died as a result of either a hostile or nonhostile occurrence in the Southeast Asian combat area during the Vietnam War, including casualties that occurred in Cambodia, China, Laos, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and Thailand.

File Unit: Combat Area Casualties Returned Alive File, 5/1/1962-3/22/1979
The records in this data file are limited to U.S. military personnel who returned to U.S. military control after having been missing or captured during of the conflict in the defined Southeast Asian combat area.

Record Group 407: Records of the Adjutant General's Office

Records of Deceased, Wounded, Ill, or Injured Army Personnel, Including Dependents and Civilian Employees, 1/1/1961 - 12/1981
National Archives Identifier: 641697
Online Access: Download Search
This data file contains records of U.S. Army personnel (including civilian and dependents) worldwide who suffered fatal and non-fatal battle and non-battle casualties. Records for missing in action and prisoners of war are included.

Record Group 472: Records of the U.S. Forces in Southeast Asia

Records of Awards and Decorations of Honor During the Vietnam War, 5/1969 - 3/1973
National Archives Identifier: 604413
Online Access: Download Search
This file contains information about some of the awards and decorations of honor given to U.S. and allied foreign military personnel.

Collection COFF: Richard Coffelt, Richard Arnold, and David Argabright Collection

Records with Unit Information on Military Personnel Who Died During the Vietnam War, ca. 1983 - 12/18/2005
National Archives Identifier: 571687
File Unit: The Coffelt Database Unit Identifiers, December 2005 Update
Online Access: Search
This database provides unit and related organizational information on U.S. military personnel who died as a result of either a hostile occurrence, including while missing in action or while prisoner of war, or non-hostile occurrence in the Southeast Asian combat area during the Vietnam War. The project was the work of Richard D. Coffelt, Richard J. Arnold and David L. Argabright, with the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association and The Virtual Wall contributing significant additional information.

IV. Digital Records relating to Immigrants

Record Group 566: Records of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Flexoline Index Database, 1940 - 1955
National Archives Identifier: 200294723
Online Access: Download Search
This series serves as an index to the microfilmed (and later digitized) World War II era Alien Registration Forms. More background is available at: Flexoline Index (Flex).
Alien Registration (AR-2) Forms, 1940 - 1945
National Archives Identifier: 201231233
This series consists of digitized Alien Registration Forms (Form AR-2, AR-102, or the consular form) completed by noncitizens to comply with the Alien Registration Act of 1940. Information on how to request the records is at: Alien Registration (AR-2) Forms.

Collection CGIC: Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection

Ship Passenger Records
National Archives Identifier: 229630476
Online Access: Download Search
This series contains information about 11 million passengers who arrived in the United States by ship between 1820 and 1912. The series includes passenger lists for four separate geographic areas: Italy; the UK and Ireland; Germany (containing records on German, French, and Swiss passengers); and Russia (containing records on passengers from the Russian Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the other countries of Europe). There may be records of passengers from other countries. The passenger list files are an expanded version of what NARA received from the Center for Immigration Research with 5 million additional records.

Collection CIR: Center for Immigration Research Collection

Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Germans to the United States
National Archives Identifier: 566634
Online Access: Download
This series contains records of 4,048,907 passengers who arrived at the United States between 1850 through 1897; about 90 percent identified their country of origin or nationality as Germany or a "German" state, city, or region.
Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Italians to the United States
National Archives Identifier: 566637
Online Access: Download
This series contains records of 845,368 passengers who arrived at the United States between 1855 through 1900; about 99 percent identified their country of origin or nationality as Italy or one of the following Italian regions: Lombardy, Piedmont, Sardinia, Sicily, or Tuscany.
Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Russians to the United States
National Archives Identifier: 566638
Online Access: Download
This series contains records of 527,394 passengers who arrived at the United States between 1834 through 1897 and identified their country of origin or nationality as Armenia, Finland, Galicia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Russian Poles, or Ukraine.
Records for Passengers Who Arrived at the Port of New York During the Irish Famine
National Archives Identifier: 569666
Online Access: Download
This series contains information about passengers who arrived at the Port of New York during the era of the Irish Potato Famine, 1846-1851.

V. Other Digital Records that Identify Individuals

Record Group 47: Records the Social security Administration

Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007
National Archives Identifier: 12004494
Data Files: 60 data files
Online Access: Search
This series contains one record for every social security number (SSN) assigned to individuals with a verified death or who would have been over 110 years old by December 31, 2007. There are three types of entries in NUMIDENT: application (SS-5), claim, and death records.

Record Group 185: Records of the Panama Canal

Index to the Gorgas Hospital Mortuary Registers, 1979 - 1991
National Archives Identifier: 570981
Online Access: Download Search
This database served as a necrology (death list) and partial index to the mortuary's registers and contains records representing 26,213 of the over 45,000 U.S. military personnel, Panama Canal Commission employees, and Canal Zone civilians whose remains were processed through the Gorgas Hospital Mortuary between 1906 and 1991.

Record Group 307: Records of the National Science Foundation

National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel Files, 1954-1970
National Archives Identifier: 622629
File Unit: 1954 National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel
Online Access: Download Search
This series contains data compiled from social and natural scientists who responded to survey questionnaires sent to them by professional organizations. Professional organizations that collaborated included the American Institute of Biological Sciences; the American Chemical Society; the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology; the American Geological Institute; the American Mathematical Society; the American Institute of Physics; the American Psychological Association; and the American Meteorological Society.

Record Group 428: General Records of the Department of the Navy

Awards Information Management System (AIMS) Files
National Archives Identifier: 620316
Online Access: Download Search
This series contains data about some Navy or Marine Corps awards given to units and individuals as entered into the Awards Information Management System. The bulk of the records are for service during the Vietnam War through the 1990s. There are also some award records for service during World War II and the Korean War, along with other time periods.

Collection TTP: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Collection

Index to the Donated Copy of the Records of the Trust, 1981 - 1986
National Archives Identifier: 571559
Online Access: Download Search
This index was created, most recently, by the Office of Archives, Office of the High Commissioner, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The index includes personal names of authors and businesses and provides access to 2200 rolls of microfilm in the custody of the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration. The microfilm contains the records of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) during its governance by the United States through a Trusteeship Agreement with the United Nations.

Related Information

NARA's National Archives Catalog: type "war casualties" for state-level lists of casualties from World War II.

Electronic Records Reference Report, Electronic Records of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

NARA Reference Information Paper 90, Records Relating to American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the Vietnam War Era, 1960-1994

Theodore J. Hull, " Electronic Records of Korean and Vietnam War Casualties," Prologue (Spring 2000).

Theodore J. Hull, " The World War II Army Enlistment Records File and Access to Archival Databases," Prologue (Spring 2006).

NARA's Genealogists/Family Historians Web Pages

Links and Web Sites of Genealogical Interest

Contact Us

Reference Services
Electronic Records
National Archives at College Park
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
(301) 837-0470
e-mail: cer@nara.gov

June 2024

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