History is the study of events and the people that were involved. Genealogy, on the other hand, is the study of people and the events they were involved in. In our quest to find the genealogies of our families, we must also look at the history of the times they lived and the records that they left behind. Few events in a person's life leave more tracks then the military. So as Genealogists, we need to find out where these tracks were left and how to best use what we find.

If you are trying to find out more about a particular person, it is a good idea to look at the history of the time and try to determine if he could have been in the military. You should then to try to obtain the records of that person from the government. This can be a true goldmine for anyone looking for information or trying to put the "meat on the bones" of their ancestors.

George Ferguson

Genealogy Forum Leader