>From another RootsWeb pal>>> Jennifer Sherwood Braswell jensgen@iol10.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Sally Pavia <pavia@futureone.com> To: <NEWGEN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2000 9:27 AM Subject: [NEWGEN] Military or Civilian .. from Everton's Family History Newsline : EVERTON'S FAMILY HISTORY NEWSLINE : Tuesday, 9 May 2000 : : Research Tip: Military or Civilian? : : Having an ancestor with military service can often be a source of : pride. Not only because he or she served his or her nation, but also : because service files and other records for military personnel (such : as pensions) can be great sources of biographical and genealogical : information. : : But you need to remember that not everyone employed by the military : was considered to be military personnel. Armies, navies and other : military organizations have always needed a certain number of : civilian employees for a wide range of jobs. Some military-related : civilian jobs can be physically dangerous, but many are no more : life-threatening than most non-military occupations. : : While civilians and military personnel serve side by side, their : records are usually kept in separate archives, and the records for : civilian employees can be less likely to contain as much personal : data as the ones kept for military personnel at the same location. : : If you have a family tradition that an ancestor served in the : military, but you can't locate a service record, pension file, bounty : land warrant, or other military record, try looking for records of : civilians supporting the military in that area during that time : period. It may be that your ancestor served his country, but in a : civilian capacity rather than a military one. : : Resources: : : National Personnel Records Center: Military Records : http://www.nara.gov/regional/mpr.html : : National Personnel Records Center: Civilian Records : http://www.nara.gov/regional/cpr.html : : ______________________________