Hi Peggy, I. US Civil War records are all over the internet. When in doubt, type in a title and add "+ Family Search." Remember folks, military records are national records, although many states have their own sites, often connected to historical parks or state archives. The first step is to find: Union or Confederate, correct state and division for your soldier. Those searching common Irish names, will need to examine each one then cross reference with: Widow's Pension, 1890 Veterans' Schedule's home addresses, DOB, until you can ascertain which "John Doe" is yours. You may need to research specific units via Google. l) If you don't have details, search here first> National Park Service, "Soldiers & Sailors" Database https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm 2) For New York State residents, search here> http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/rosters/rostersinfantry.htm 3) LDS Information https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/United_States_Civil_War_1861_to_1865,_Part_1 II. NARA [St. Louis, MO] is the repository for WW2 records, and they are available to descendants. Having the DD 214 is most helpful. Yes, they had a fire, and yes, most files were reconstituted. Don't let that dissuade you. One used to be able to get these through a local VFW, but that's no longer the case. Suggest you click in here, and read all the fine print and links. The wait time is at least 90 days. They'll send you the most significant records. After receiving those, you have a right to request the entire file. http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180.html#nok I hope this helps you find your family heroes. Barb MizScarlettNY@aol.com From: Peggy Bowman <peggy.bowman47@gmail.com> Would you please share the links to those free sights? Also along the line of NY military records, I have a question. I sent off for my Dad's WWII records, but there was a fire at the National Archives repository and records for WWI and WWII were destroyed. I have my Dads "Uncle Sam wants you" letter as well as his DD214 which gives me the names of what units he was attached to. Is there a possibility that I could find info from a more local source like his unit command?