The Three WWI Draft Registrations (1917–1918): 24 Million Men
During the First World War, the Selective Service System conducted three national registrations that captured approximately 24 million men—nearly 98 percent of all men living in the United States born between September 1872 and September 1900, regardless of whether they were US citizens or recent immigrants.
Unlike a census taker who might guess an age or misspell a name from a neighbor, the registrant reviewed and signed the draft card in his own hand.
- First Registration (June 5, 1917): Men aged 21 to 31 (born June 6, 1886 to June 5, 1896). Crucial detail: this card specifically asks for the exact town, province, and country of birth.
- Second Registration (June 5 & August 24, 1918): Men who turned 21 after June 5, 1917. Crucial detail: this card asks for the father’s exact birthplace!
- Third Registration (September 12, 1918): Men aged 18 to 20 and 31 to 45 (born September 13, 1872 to September 12, 1900). Lists exact birth date, occupation, employer’s name and address, nearest relative, and physical description.
The 1942 WWII “Old Man’s Draft” (Fourth Registration)
On April 27, 1942, shortly after America entered World War II, the government held the Fourth Registration—universally known among historians as the “Old Man’s Draft.” It registered men aged 45 to 64, meaning men born between April 28, 1877 and February 16, 1897.
These men were never intended for combat; the government was inventorying industrial and agricultural manpower. For family historians, the 1942 Old Man’s Draft is priceless: every card asks for the registrant’s exact date and town of birth, current street address, telephone number, employer’s name and address, the name and address of a ”person who will always know your address,” and a physical description—giving us a vivid snapshot of a 19th-century-born ancestor in 1942.
Reconstructing Active Service When the 1973 St. Louis Fire Destroyed a File
If your grandfather or great-grandfather served in the US Army during WWI or WWII, you may have heard of the July 12, 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, which destroyed roughly 80 percent of Army personnel jackets (OMPF) from 1912–1960.
A burned personnel jacket does not mean your ancestor’s war story is lost. By combining state-level WWI service bonus cards, morning reports, troop transport ship lists (which name the soldier’s next of kin and unit on both departure and return), VA BIRLS files, and regimental after-action reports, we can still reconstruct where a soldier trained, sailed, and fought.
Want Our Historians to Trace This Record for Your Family?
If you would rather have an archival historian pull the original manifests, naturalization files, military records, and European parish registers—and compose them into a custom hardcover book for your family—request a complimentary 48-hour feasibility study below. We will check what survives in the archives and reply with a chapter plan and a firm quote for either an Ancestor Portrait ($590) or a Lineage Edition ($1,690).
Frequently Asked Questions
01Did non-citizen immigrants have to register for the WWI and WWII drafts?
Yes. Every male resident of the United States within the age bracket—citizen and non-citizen alike—was legally required to register. In fact, alien registrants often provided more specific foreign birth town details on their cards than native-born clerks recorded elsewhere.
02How do French and European military records compare to US draft cards?
In France (since 1867), Italy, and Belgium, universal conscription meant every 20-year-old man received a detailed military service sheet (such as the French fiche matricule) recording his parents, height, eye color, literacy, every address change until age 45, and every campaign, wound, and citation.