The National World War I Memorial was made available to the public during its first illumination ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Friday, September 13, 2024. The arrival of this memorial has been a long time in the making. You can watch a recording of the First Illumination Ceremony for free on YouTube. While there is a World War I monument in the Washington Mall dedicated to service personnel from the District of Columbia, the new memorial at Pershing Park is the first national monument in our nation’s capital to be dedicated to all military and non-combatant service personnel.
Local Records
In the years preceding America’s World War I centennial, numerous projects, programs and digitization efforts were made to restore and immortalize World War I veterans on a state and local level. While Illinois’ state adjutant general’s records suffered heavy losses due to a storage fire in the 1930s, other records and resources have survived to assist researchers in uncovering their ancestors’ experience during the Great War era.
We are exceptionally fortunate to have a list of Will County’s World War I veterans, which was compiled during or shortly after the war. This list is in Joliet Public Library’s archival collection and has been digitized for public use. This list is the only known document that provides names and locations for military personnel and nurses on a local level. While the list is not in full alphabetical order, the individual who complied names did their best to keep names as orderly as possible. There are some names missing from the list, and we are currently compiling a master list to include the service personnel who were not included in the original document.
Digital Resources
Many great World War records are available online. Your Fountaindale Library card provides access to Fold3 and MyHeritage from home. You are also welcome to use Ancestry’s Library Edition in our building. You can find all three of these resources on our Genealogy Resource page.
Additionally, active and retired military personnel have free access to the Department of Defense’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Libraries online resources, which include free access to Ancestry and Fold3.
Photos & Service Information
Photos and service information for Lockport area veterans can be found online on Ancestry in a collection entitled Lockport Area Genealogical and Historical Society, 1811-1990. These records include additional information you may not find in other documents, such as education locations, employment details, dates of residence, military training camp name and dates of overseas service.
Photo of Lieut. G.H. Bohn and details of his World War I military service.
Photo of Walter E. Coyne and details of his World War I military service
The Will County Historical Society Museum and Research Center also has a collection of World War I photographs and local records that have not been digitized. You can visit the museum, located at 803 S State St in Lockport, during operating hours to review records. You can make a research appointment by calling 815.838.5080.
More Illinois World War I Records and Resources
Illinois Digital Archives World War I Documents
- Abstract of Illinois World War I Bonus Applications, 1923-1927
- Illinois World War I Bonus Application Files, 1923-1927
- 1929 Illinois Roll of Honor
Landmarks Illinois World War I Monuments of Illinois Database
World War I Genealogy Research Guide 3rd Edition: Tracing American Military and Non-Combatant Ancestors by Debra M. Dudek
Reading Recommendations
Looking for a good Veterans Day read? Here are some suggestions from our collection:
See you at the library!
Debra