Every family has stories of courage, sacrifice, and service. Some are passed down through generations, shared around the dinner table, or preserved in photographs and letters. Others remain hidden in military records, pension applications, and documents that have not been examined in decades, sometimes centuries. On Veterans Day, we have an opportunity to remember those who served our country and the families who stood beside them.
For me, Veterans Day is deeply personal. My family has a history of military service that stretches across generations, from the Patriots who contributed to American independence during the Revolutionary War to those who served during the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and in our nation's modern armed forces.
My husband, Rick G. Brooks, served in the United States Navy. My dad, William Henry Meyer, served in the United States Air Force, and my father-in-law, Bud Brooks, served in the United States Marine Corps. Three men, three branches of military service, and three important places in our family's history.
As a genealogist, I have also had the privilege of tracing my ancestry to individuals whose military service and patriotic contributions reach back more than two centuries.
Among my Revolutionary War Patriots are John Pyle and Thomas Whitfield of North Carolina; Robert Buckles Sr., Robert Buckles Jr., Gideon Hogg, and Augustine Sims of Virginia; and Andrew English, John McGaw, and Samuel Patterson of South Carolina.
During the War of 1812, my ancestors Elijah Farmer of North Carolina, Felix G. Jernigin of Tennessee, and Thomas Jefferson Hearin of Alabama served during another important chapter of early American history.
My family history also includes James Hendrix Jernigin of Texas, whose service is associated with the Civil War, and Thomas Chittim Knight of Texas, who served during the Spanish-American War.
Together, these names represent generations of individuals whose lives intersected with defining events in American history. Their stories are not simply accounts of wars and military campaigns. They are part of the history of families, communities, and a nation that continued to change with each passing generation.
How to Begin Researching Your Military Ancestors
Every veteran has a story, and you may be surprised by how much you can discover with just a name and a few details. If you have a veteran in your family whose military service you would like to learn more about, here are some simple steps to get started.
Step 1: Start with What You Know
Choose one veteran in your family and write down their full name, approximate birth and death dates, where they lived, and the branch of military service, if known. Ask family members whether they remember when or where that person served.
Step 2: Search Your Family's Treasures
Before searching online, look through family photographs, letters, discharge papers, military identification cards, medals, and newspaper clippings. Check the backs of photographs for handwritten names, dates, or locations. Even a small detail, such as a military unit number, can lead to an entirely new discovery.
Step 3: Search for Military Records Online
Several websites provide access to military records. Start with these resources:
National Archives: Search military service records, pension files, and historical military collections. For more recent veterans, learn how to request available personnel records.
FamilySearch: Create a free account and search military collections using your ancestor's name, birth information, and residence. Try variations of the name if your first search produces no results.
Fold3: Search military service records, pension files, and other documents from the Revolutionary War through more recent conflicts. Some collections are free, while others require a subscription.
DAR Genealogical Research System: If you are researching a Revolutionary War ancestor, search the Patriot database for possible matches and review the available service information.
Step 4: Follow the Clues in Each Record
When you find a record, do not stop with the name. Look for the military unit, rank, enlistment date, place of residence, and names of relatives or fellow soldiers.
If you discover a military unit, search for its history to learn where it was stationed or what campaigns it participated in. A unit history can provide valuable context, although it does not necessarily prove that your ancestor participated in every event associated with that unit.
For Revolutionary War ancestors, look for pension applications, muster rolls, pay records, and public claims for supplies furnished to military forces. For Civil War ancestors, determine whether they served in the Union or Confederate forces and explore the appropriate federal or state archives.
Step 5: Preserve What You Discover
Download copies of records, record where you found them, and organize your discoveries in a folder or family tree. Write a short account of the veteran's service using the information you have verified. Include photographs and family memories whenever possible, clearly distinguishing documented facts from family traditions.
You do not have to uncover an entire military career in one afternoon. Begin with one person, one record, and one question. Each discovery may lead you closer to understanding a story that has been waiting generations to be told.
Remembering the Families Behind the Service
Military service affects more than the individual wearing the uniform.
Behind every servicemember is often a family that has experienced its own sacrifices. Spouses maintain households during long separations. Parents worry about children stationed far from home. Children celebrate homecomings, sometimes after months or years apart.
During earlier conflicts, families also faced uncertainty as armies moved through their communities, supplies became scarce, and daily life was disrupted. The Civil War, in particular, divided communities and sometimes families, leaving consequences that continued long after the fighting ended.
These experiences rarely appear in official military records, yet they are an essential part of the story.
As family historians, we should preserve these memories alongside enlistment dates, military assignments, and discharge papers. The letters exchanged between loved ones, photographs taken before a departure, and stories told after returning home can reveal a side of military life that official documents cannot capture.
We should also remember that not every veteran wishes to discuss their experiences. Some memories are shared openly, while others remain private. Preserving a family's military history requires both curiosity and respect.
A Legacy Worth Preserving
This Veterans Day, I am especially thankful for my husband, Rick G. Brooks; my dad, William Henry Meyer; and my father-in-law, Bud Brooks. I am also grateful for the opportunity to discover and preserve the stories of my ancestors whose lives were connected to the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and Spanish-American War.
From the thirteen colonies to the battlefields of the nineteenth century, and from the ships of the United States Navy to the service of the Air Force and Marine Corps, these individuals represent different generations of my family's history.
Their experiences were not identical, nor were the conflicts in which they served. Each must be understood within the circumstances of their own time. Yet their surviving records offer something invaluable: the opportunity to understand their lives and preserve their place in our family's story.
Perhaps there is a veteran in your family whose story is waiting to be discovered. Begin with one photograph, one military document, or one conversation. Search for a service record, examine an old pension file, or write down a memory before it is lost.
You may discover something unexpected, but more importantly, you will preserve a piece of your family's history for those who come after you.
To my husband, my dad, my father-in-law, and every veteran who has worn our nation's uniform, thank you for your service. To the families who have supported them, waited for them, and carried their memories forward, thank you as well.
May we honor our veterans not only with words of gratitude on Veterans Day, but by remembering their names, preserving their stories, and ensuring that future generations understand the lives behind the uniforms.
Because a name remembered is a life honored, and a story preserved is a legacy that endures.
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