We’ve added a new collection of WWI records to our archives! The U.S. WWI Burial Cards document the death and burial of over 78,000 American soldiers in WWI. These cards contain information including:
- Name of the deceased
- Unit assigned
- Date and cause of death
- Burial location
- Final resting place if reinterred
- Emergency contact information (often the name of a family member)
Pictured here is the Burial Card for Quentin Roosevelt. Quentin was the well-known son of former president Theodore Roosevelt.
Quentin was attending Harvard when the U.S. entered WWI. He dropped out to join the 1st Aero Company of the New York National Guard, later joining the U.S. Army Air Service’s 95th Aero Squadron division, where he achieved the rank of First Lieutenant. On July 14, 1918, he was flying near Chamery, France, when he engaged in aerial combat with several German aircraft. He was shot down and died at age 20.
Quentin was buried by the German military, with full battlefield honors, his grave marked with a make-shift cross fashioned out of two pieces of wood bound together with wire from Quentin’s downed plane. As seen on his Burial Card, his grave was No. 1, Isolated Commune #102, Coulonges (Aisne), France.
Quentin’s Burial Card lists his mother as his emergency contact. It also records that his parents were officially notified of his death by letter (L.S. – letter sent to parents). After WWII, the American Cemetery was established in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Quentin’s remains were disinterred and moved there so that he could be laid to rest next to his oldest brother Ted. Ted helped command the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division during the D-Day landings but died of a heart attack the following month in France. Note that Quentin’s Burial Card shows “Grave Released to N.R.” (Nearest Relative). Do you have an ancestor that died in WWI? Explore this newly added collection of U.S. WWI Burial Cards today on Fold3®.
Very good story. It’s wonderful when these folks no matter the War or in service to our Country aren’t forgotten.
I totally agree with you!
Agree!!! Imperative that our soldiers, their stories, and our military history be preserved.
Lovely tribute and interesting background. Often people say that the children of the wealthy and famous don’t go to war, but this article shows that’s just not always the case and the unsurprisingly the Roosevelt family didn’t shield their sons from military service and surely felt the loss of both profoundly. Thank you for sharing this story.
My grandfather was in Pershing’s group in WWI, however his records were those that caught on fire in St. Louis, Mo. So sad that so many records were lost. I have other proof that he served and my Aunt had (or did have)his Purple Heart for being wounded at the Argonne.
Personnel records may have been lost in fire, but the military did everything in duplicate or triplicate. Inquire again, and give NARA all the information you have. So, your grandfather sailed on a certain ship, he is on a manifest for the ship. An order sending a company to training exists for everyone in the company, etc. You can look up the regimental history to see where they were, when. Good luck.
Thank you that is a good hint. I do know some of where he was.
This was exactly the same with my grandfather, who was also in Pershing’s outfit. So sad we can’t document more of their Military service. I have one Uncle, his son, still living. He is 87, and I have to make sure I get that information from him, since it is all in his head.
So agree. I wish I had someone who had known my grandfather James Murphy Swartwout. He was from Massachusetts and New York. I have a pic of him in his uniform right before he went overseas. He was in Utica, NY. After being wounded he was sent to Camp Pike in Arkansas and there met my grandmother.
Brenda, My Dad was also wounded while under Gen. Pershing. His Company was at the Argonne. I’m not sure in what battle he was wounded.
I wish I had paid more attention to places and things . A Gr Uncle told me that my grandfather was actually wounded twice and he last fought in the Argonne. He wrote a letter to his Uncle in Utica, NY and it was published in the paper. It was about war and he had lost a friend. His half brother George Magnin also fought with him.
WW1 list of soldiers?
Hi Marilyn, We have WWI Draft Registration Cards, military yearbooks, unit histories, various state records, and records from the American Expeditionary Force, to name just a few. Just search for your soldier by name. Good luck!
List of Spanish American War soldiers?
Hi Marilyn, Here is the link to our Spanish American War records: https://www.fold3.com/collection/spanish-american-war
I have a picture that was about 43″ wide by 8″ tall of Camp Greenleaf, Georgia
taken 2 Aug. 1918. It is of Co. 12, BN 15, Detention Camp. My Father-in-law
Jesse Howard Franklin is in the picture but I have no idea who the other men
are. His service records say he was in the Motor Transport Corps at Fort Oglethorpe,
Georgia. The picture was rolled up for years until my husband and I had it framed.
Both ends were ragged so they were cut off when we had the picture framed but I
still have the pieces. I don’t know how to send a picture of this picture. Perhaps
one of my children or Grandchildren can figure it out if someone is interested.
why don’t you try sending it back to the US family or Mexican family you took it from?
This is so interesting to read your post. My GF was in the detention camp; had been rounded up in the Phillipines as a German National, and brought through Angel Island, CA in April 1918. Sent to the detention camp at Ft Oglethorpe; my grandmother shared some of his photos with me. I would be very interested in your photo. TY
Hi Dolores, if your grandchildren can help you get this photo digitized in as high resolution as possible, we can add it to the site with other user-contributed records. It will be free to view for anyone. If you prefer, you can mail the original to us and we can digitize it and send it back to you. If you prefer this option, please reach out to us at [email protected]
So very gratefulto be able to “flesh out”
the remarkable lives of the men and women who mean so much to all of ujs! Thank you for all you do!
In my husband’s family there’s a story of someone who was gassed and died in the early 1920s of injuries received. Would his death be considered a WWI casualty or what ‘defined’ this category? I will still look for him in the records (I’ve looked previously but not found); his 90 year old+ nieces are still alive, would like to know. TY
Hi Cathy, While that death can be attributed to WWI, it is likely not found in this collection.
I did not know my father he was not in my life i was recently informed that he passed away and given 2 stories that he was cremated they buried him I searched as much as I could and not even an obituary.i found my grandfather Martin Rios Martinez Sr. but not my father Martin David Martinez DOB 04/21/1947 Death 02/28/2021
My grandfather’s stepmother had a brother who died in during WW1. My guess is that since the family immigrated from Hungary in 1903, The father did not want his son possibly fighting against former friends and neighbors, so the son ran away to join the US army. From what I have pieced together from newspapers and documents, He enlisted and trained at Camp Girardeau in Missouri. He was a PFC in Company G of the 18th Infantry when he was killed in France on June 18, 1918. It was after he was killed that his family finally found out what happened to him. The American Legion Post in Norfolk is named after him.
My uncle was killed in the battle of Warsaw between Poland and Russia. This took place after WW1. He was a member of Heller’s Army. Are those records available?
Hi John, I’m sorry but we don’t have those records available. Check back as we are always adding new content and collections.
The only way I know to send the picture is take it out of the frame, which I will see if I
can do if you will send me an address to send the picture to.
My Uncle MONSON PHILLIPS was killed in France, Argonne Forest, Oct. 2-8, 1918, as a soldier in the 77th Div. Another soldier saw him hit in the head, losing his dog tags. His body was never recovered and I have hopes his is the body in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, DC. Do you have any records of this event?
That word “OVER” is important to the discussion also.
See https://www.fold3.com/image/705217523?terms=roosevelt,quentin
for the back of this card.