Ancestry.com military databases free until June 6.

[madfloridian]

"Beginning now through June 6th (D-Day), Ancestry.com will make its entire
U.S. Military Collection free to the public. For more information on
Ancestry.com's U.S. Military Collection, visit www.ancestry.com/military.
In order to see the new titles added to Ancestry for this military release,
go to www.ancestry.com/military and view titles by war/conflict."

This is a special event. They have huge databases.

[MiaCulpa]

1. Thanks!

Thanks so much for posting this! I have one whole side of my family who served, and there's no one left on dad's side now, and no photos, nothing. I've already found their draft registrations, their names on casualty/kia lists. I'm hoping I'll get lucky and find photos.

[madfloridian]

2. It's a great site.

I do a lot of genealogy, and I paid dearly for a subscription there. I let it lapse last year, as I was just taking a break from the research.

I have found folks back to the civil war, and a history of really long ago relative in the Revolutionary War. Then I was able to trace that line. It was a very well known leader in SC. Tragic story. His wife died after being kicked out into the snow by the Loyalists because she would not give up her husband's whereabouts.

I have found wonderful things in my research.

[Bitwit1234]

3. They have photos on their sites, but the photos are one s

submitted by members. I love doing genealogy research. Some people call it a hobby but to some (like me) it is a labor of love. It is so thrilling to come across an ancestor. To find a "cousin". I started late in 1995. Most of my older relatives, who could have given me lots of info had passed away. Until I started I did not even know the name of my great grandparents. Now I have both sides of my family back to 1737 and 1777. I won't be able to go any further back on my father's side. His ancestor was an orphan and took the surname the family carries now. BUT whenever we find a person with that surname we know they are a "cousin".

[Bitwit1234]

4. How you can get access to census...

Check at your public library. See if they have HeritageQuest. It is a census program that is hosted by public libraries. If they have it available you can access it online FREE. All you need is a library card. You put the library card number in when prompted. They also have Rev. War Pension files. And they have some genealogy books. It is cumbersome to negotitate the books you have to go page by page but most have an index....

It it really worth the effort to see if your state does host HeritageQuest. And West Virginia has a birth,death,marriage index where you can pull up the records and print them out. Not all years are available and not all counties. Then Maryland, Ohio and Missouri (that I know of) have a death record index. If you find a relative or ancestor (most are from the 1800's to the 1940's)you have to order the death certificate for a fee. Most death certificates have the wife/husband, the mother's maiden name and the father, where they were born and the cause of death and where they were buried. A gold mine for genealogy research...