Nebraska World War I Selective Service Draft Registration Cards Index, 1917-1918 A-L

              NEBRASKA WORLD WAR I SELECTIVE SERVICE
DRAFT REGISTRATION CARDS
1917 - 1918
By
Gerald E. Sherard
429 S. Moore St.
Lakewood, CO 80226-2629
(2005)
On May 18, 1917, during World War I the Selective Service Act was passed authorizing the President to
increase temporarily the military armed forces by the process of selecting men for induction into the
military service. In 1917 and 1918, approximately 24 million men, (98% of men present in America),
born between 1873 and 1900 completed draft registration cards. The selective service boards were
responsible for registering men, classifying them, taking into consideration needs for manpower in certain
industries and in agriculture, as well as certain special family situations of the registrants; handling any
appeals of these classifications; determining the medical fitness of individual registrants; determining th
order in which registrants would be called; calling registrants; and placing them on trains to training
centers. Local boards were established for each county or similar subdivision in each state and for each
30,000 persons (approximately) in each city or county with a populatio
e
n over 30,000.
.
During World War I there were three registrations. The first, on June 5, 1917, was for all men between the
ages of 21 and 31. These men were born between 1886 - 1896. They answered a form containing twelve
questions including order and serial numbers (assigned by the Selective Service System), full name, date
and place of birth, race, citizenship, occupation, personal description, and signature.
The second registration, on June 5, 1918, registered those who attained age 21 after June 5, 1917. These
men were born between 1896 - 1897. (A supplemental registration was held on August 24, 1918, for those
becoming 21 years old after June 5, 1918. This was included in the second registration.) The form had
ten questions including name, date of birth, birthplace, citizenship and father’s birthplace
The third registration was held on September 12, 1918, for men age 18 through 45. These men were born
1872 - 1886 and 1897 - 1900. They answered a twenty question form which included name, age in years,
date of birth - not birthplace, citizenship, and address of nearest kin. After the signing of the armistice on
November 11, 1918, the activities of the Selective Service System were rapidly curtailed. On March 31,
1919, all local, district, and medical advisory boards were closed.
For Nebraska, the registration cards are on 50 rolls of microfilm, Nebraska State Historical Society library
microfilm catalog number RG0544.PR . The draft registration cards are arranged alphabetically by county
or city. Within the county or city, names are listed usually alphabetically. Lincoln City consisted of two
draft boards (#1 and #2), and Omaha City consisted of five draft boards (#1 through #5). There is also a
separate microfilm of Indians, prisoners, insane, in hospital and late registrants (NARA roll MX8).
Those people listed with a ca____ birth date often are insane patients in a Nebraska state mental hospital.
The information included on each registration differs somewhat but the general information shown often
includes order and serial numbers, full name, address, age, date and place of birth, father’s birthplace, race,
citizenship, occupation, employers name and city, nearest relative’s name and address, personal description
(general height and build, eye and hair color), disabilities, and signature. It is important to note that not all
of the men who registered for the draft actually served in the military and not all men who served in the
military registered for the draft. As these cards are not military service records, they contain no
information about an individual’s military service. After the signing of the armistice of November 11,
1918, the activities of the Selective Service System was rapidly curtailed. On March 31, 1919, all local
boards were closed.
It should be noted that only a small percentage of these men were ever inducted into the military. In
addition, the information provided was much more complete and reliable than census information because
the registrant was the person providing the information. The cards also serve as substitute for birth records
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