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Question about draft

Question about draft

Posted: 28 Jul 2014 12:44PM GMT
Classification: Query
I was just wondering how the filling out of the draft registration cards was enforced? How did men know when and where to fill out the card and what would happen if someone did not complete a card? Was there any way to ensure the accuracy of the age of the person when they filled out their card? I am curious because I have my great-grandfather's draft card and his age on it differs from his age on any other documents I have (actually his age is never the same on any given document) but I am thinking that since men of certain ages had to file at certain times that perhaps this could be the most accurate information I have on him - I know very little about him.

Re: Question about draft

Posted: 29 Jul 2014 1:36AM GMT
Classification: Query
Times were way different back then.....Men were trusted do their "duty" to file where they lived. I have seen cards filled out where they reported working but their "Home" county draft board were sent the card to stamp and keep. The men also were trusted to fill out correctly as this was a civilian registration by a local draft board were the members of the board could have known all the men of the ages required to file in the area they covered. I would also think others in the community would ask or know whether a man filed or not.

I have seen various cards that don't match birth days, birth months or birth years as other records had later for the same men. Not all men were drafted, some volunteered, some were disqualified by job, family, health if they were conscripted.

Does he have a WWII Draft Registration Card filed 1942...Known as
the old man's draft.

This website is also informative.
http://www.eogen.com/USWorldWarIDraftRegistrations

Re: Question about draft

Posted: 29 Jul 2014 1:49AM GMT
Classification: Query
You can Google WWI Draft & find tons of articles. As far as I can tell each registration was held on one day, run by the county. Event would have been advertised in newspapers, maybe radio, handbills posted in public places, etc. Depending on where you lived (city vs suburban vs rural) registration could have been held at local voting places, government (city, town, county) buildings, schools, police station, court house, etc. A lot of people, particularly in rural areas, did not read/write. It is believed some registration official asked each registrant the questions on card & if they could write, had the man sign the card. You'll see lots of cards marked with an "X" instead of signature. I read that compliance with registration was approx 95%.

It is/was not uncommon in that era for people to not know their exact date of birth. No one was asked, unlike today, for our DOB constantly, etc for all kinds of things. Many places didn't have birth certificates prior to 1900ish.

For whatever reason, I have noticed a lot of WWI cards have DOB off by one year. I don't know (& no one else does) exactly how the question was possed but it's curious so many cards are off by one year exactly. This may not be the case with your g-grandfather. My g-g-grandfather had his DOB different on every single document, he used a range of 10 years! And he could read & write, so I don't know why he couldn't get his DOB straight, lol. I use his year of birth as shown on his death certificate & grave marker on my tree, just to keep it consistent, but have notes about all the different dates this man used. In other words, it's not uncommon & take your best guess. You can always change it should you find something definitive.

Good luck.
Linda

Re: Question about draft

Posted: 29 Jul 2014 1:59AM GMT
Classification: Query
Thank you both for your help! I learned a lot - very interesting! The issue I mainly have with my great-grandfather is that aside from his age varying on every document I have I loose track of him around late 1926. I've come to find out that my great-grandparents were separated (she refers to herself as a widow in all census records after the separation because she did not want anyone to know). I have been trying to find what may have become of him - supposedly he remained within the same city. I have a WWII draft card that might be him but I can't be certain. I'm hopeful that at some point I will come across some answers about what happened to him after the separation.

Re: Question about draft

Posted: 29 Jul 2014 8:01AM GMT
Classification: Query
Jeanine,
Welcome to the wonderful world of genealogy. Lots of fun, looking through your history but can be a bit frustrating. Sometimes it helps to put a person/line aside for a while & come back to it later. By the way, very common especially for women to say they were widows instead of separated or, God forbid, divorced; such a scandal back then, tsk, tsk. Was difficult if living in small town. At least in a city, you can change neighborhoods. Try to find g-grandfather's parents & siblings and check for him living now & then with other family members. Also take note of occupation. Seems like way back when, men more or less stayed with same/similar jobs. On WWII card check who was listed as someone who knows how to find you. That person is commonly a relative & can be a "clue".

Good luck & have fun. Keep all your "possibles" and review another time. Sometimes a little distance helps see things clearer. We all have a few "holes" here & there and a mystery
or two. I stumbled on a BIG secret about my grandma & sometimes I wonder if she's "going to come get me"; I stay clear of windows when it's lightening, just in case.......lol

Linda

Re: Question about draft

Posted: 29 Jul 2014 6:41PM GMT
Classification: Query
Have you tried to find City Directories of the time period? Ancestry has some online, don't know about FamilySearch.org. The Directories usually list the spouses name if married as well as address and occupation. If you can find the directory for when they were together then look at later years to when they were listed separately or he is listed without a spouse. Now I have seen entries for females where it is noted she is the widow of ......., But even if you were to find this for your greatgrand mother, your great grandfather should still have a listing.
Look for a 1941/42/43 directory for the same area as the WWII card was filed or address living. Then look for his name to see if directory address and occupation matches the card. Same with the 1940 census info of address and occupation.

Re: Question about draft

Posted: 31 Jul 2014 9:09PM GMT
Classification: Query
You will seem to find a census off for one or two reasons. You might not take it into consideration when you look at a census; but you have to take the date of a census verses the year he was born.
e.g. A person is born 21 may 1888. Say It is 1910. If you just take 1910 and minus 1888. He would be 22 years old.

If the census is dated as 21 Apr 1910. He will be listed as 21 years old. You only count the years prior to midnight of 21 Apr 1910. His next birthday will be after 21 Apr 1910 when he will turn 22 years of age.

There are two other things to take into consideration.

1. The birth year is zero year. He isn't one until the next year. Some people in figuring out the age forget this when figuring out a persons age and want to put him as one year old.

2. There was a lot of records of births and were an official document in some places.
A. The Bible-Most everyone in rural and farming communities recorded the births in the Bible.
B. The Mid-wife- Her word in most places would not be contested.
C. Baptismal records-All over the world. Sometimes it was not an official record; but weighs heavy.

3. In Farming communities. They use to hire out their children to work or if they wanted to work. They had to be 10 years old. If the child was at a house when the census was being taken or he might be at that farm. He would be listed as 10 years old on the census. Both of the adults could get into trouble. I imagine in a lot of communities it was over looked but on the census. He might be listed as ten.

One of my relatives found out that was the case of his great grandfather and that was handed down by family; but there was a law and it is on line about the age of 10. In some other communities it might be older or there might be no law at all except what was set up by the Federal authorities. It was especially true after the big stink about the sweat shops and Jane Adams in Chicago and a lot of Industrial in cities. They set up a standard age for children. It was much higher than ten years old.

God Bless and God Speed, Danny
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