New York, Records of the State National Guard, 1906-1954

What is in This Collection?

This collection consists of an index & images of National Guard service cards from the New York State Archives. The National Guard, the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation's longest-enduring institutions. The National Guard traces its history back to the earliest English colonies in North America. Responsible for their own defense, the colonists drew on English military tradition and organized their able-bodied male citizens into militias.

In 1903, important national defense legislation increased the role of the National Guard (as the militia was now called) as a Reserve force for the U.S. Army. The records are designed to track and preserve the service of the individual guardsmen and to determine eligibility for post-service benefits. These records are very reliable.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  1928-1937 Service Card (front)

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  1940 Service Card (back)

Inventory

For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see New York, Records of the State National Guard - Inventory.