The Military Pension File and Your Family Tree

There are two areas to check if you believe your ancestor served at any time in the United States military forces; whether Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, etc. First, would be the military records, including any draft or enlistments papers. The second area is the military pension files. This monetary pension came years later after his service. This second source really can be far more valuable for the data it provides.

Within the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, DC are the military pension application and records for not only the military veteran but also their widow and heirs. The Archives hold the actual pension application filled out by your ancestor who served in the U. S. Armed Forces between 1775 and June 1917. This would include volunteers, regular army, and southern Confederate veterans. With the application can be pages of supporting documents provided by the veteran. Those papers can be a treasure chest for the family historian.

Samples of possible documents especially for those who served during the American Revolution and the American Civil War:
Statement of the veteran’s birth date and location, when he entered military service, which regiment he served with and when he was discharged (mustered out).

Information about his wife or wives (if married more than once) and his children, including their names and birthdates.
A listing of a veteran’s various occupations before and after his military service and his physical description (height, weight, hair and eye color, lost of a limb, etc).

Many times a detailed summary of the veteran’s military service; which battles, the location, the dates and officers he served with can be written to support his pension claim.

To prove marriages, there can be copies of verified affidavits from witnesses or relatives, a marriage license or the names and dates from the family bible. Copies of birth and death certificates for immediate family members may be in the file.
Letters from family members and / or doctor may be included to support a veteran’s claim of a disability.

Pensions were first applied for by veterans of the American Revolution with the 1776 pension law which gave half-pay to soldiers disabled during the war and unable to work. By 1818, a pension law took effect and became amended in 1832 (to include veterans of the War of 1812) allowing pensions for any military service and also provide some benefits for widows. This practice continued throughout the 19th century with the various wars; Mexican, Indian, Civil and Spanish-American.

To obtain copies of these military pension records from the NARA, you can request by completing and mailing NATF Form 85 or by requesting online at the NARA web site.

For military service before 1861 (before the Civil War) you would complete form NATF 85A. If service was from 1861 to 1916 use form NATF 85D. The mailing address: National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001. To order online: https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/

Not only could there be the veteran’s application and supporting documents but his widow could have applied also if her husband died before applying himself. So always check using several different individuals’ names. A reminder that not every veteran applied for a pension and neither did their wife or minor children. In such case there would be no pension records available.
There is a fee for the military pension copies. For pension records before 1861 the fee is $50.00. For pension records after 1861 (which can be up to 100 pages in length) the fee charged is $75.00. Be prepared, it can take 2 to 4 months for the request to be completed and mailed to you. The more accurate and complete of information you provide the greater success of the NARA to locate the accurate pension records. Most important is to request copies of the complete file. Also at the Archives website: http://www.archives.gov additional information about ordering the pension records is available.

What of military pension records for those who served after 1916? The main type of records available cover the veteran’s military service, loans, educational and health records of those veterans and their dependents. They have been housed for decades at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. However, a great tragedy befell the NPRC on July 12, 1973.

A massive fire swept through the building destroying over 17 million military records. Army veterans discharged between November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960; nearly 80% of those records were lost. For Air Force personal discharged between September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964 and with surnames beginning after the letters “Hub” to “Z” were nearly 75% destroyed. At that point in time there were no microfilmed copies, backup documents or indexes to help rebuilt the vast repository. The NPRC in St. Louis still is a source of military service records that have been added or survived the fire but not pension records.

At the U. S. Department of Veteran Affairs, more recent (last 50 years) military pension records would be available but subject to the Privacy and Freedom of Information Acts. The soldier must be deceased and you need either a Social Security Number or service number for that ancestor. A copy of a death certificate or obituary may be requested as proof of death to request their military file. Their web site is: http://www.va.gov

The United States military pension records are an invaluable source to every genealogist with ancestors who served in the Armed Forces. It can provide a strong foundation of your family tree for further research into where your ancestor lived, who they married, their health, occupation and children.

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