Researching WWI Soldier Gandolfo Scarnici

Have you found military records for your relatives in the National Archives? At our eConference on June 6, Michael Strauss, Accredited Genealogist Professional, will be teaching us about military records from the Revolutionary War to the Vietnam War available at NARA. His seven page syllabus includes information about the major conflicts and wars of the United States and the records that go with them. During his lecture, we will learn about Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR), Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Regular Army enlistment records, Draft records, census records, and pension records.

I asked Michael to share an experience with us about researching a United States soldier. He shared the following about Gandolfo Scarnici and his service in France during World War I.

Researching WWI Soldier Gandolfo Scarnici

by Michael Strauss, AG

Last year on Ebay I purchased an original World War I uniform that had been partially identified. I decided to research the history of the soldier to figure out if the patches, insignia, and other military rank was displayed on the uniform was correct.

The soldier was Gandolfo Scarnici of HQ Company, 55th U.S. Infantry in the 7th Division of the AEF in France in 1917-1918 during World War I.

I researched the soldier’s military unit and found everything on the uniform to be accurate. I located among some of the records copies from his service file payroll (his OMPF was burned in 1973), WWI draft registration card, muster rolls, morning reports for his unit, order of battle with the AEF for his regiment (55th U.S. Infantry), troopship manifest (to France and back to U.S), and finally his obituary when he died in New Jersey in 1973.

In his obituary was details about his family. I was able to locate and speak with his surviving daughter. Late last year I visited her in New Jersey (on a business trip to NYC), and got to talk with her about her father and her memories about his service time. At the end of our time together she gave me several original photographs of her father wearing his uniform.

 

America: Our Records and Our History – June 6, 2020, eConference

To learn more from about military research, please join us at our eConference, “America: Our Records and Our History,” on June 6, 2020 by registering here.

Schedule (Arizona time, currently PDT):

8:00 a.m. Welcome
8:15 a.m. Michael L. Strauss – Introduction to the Records of the National Archives
9:15 a.m. Break
9:30 a.m. Peggy Clemens Lauritzen – United States Tax Lists and Records
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Michael L. Strauss – Military Research: Providing for the Common Defense
11:45 a.m. Break
12:00 p.m. Billie Stone Fogarty – Bounty Land and the American Soldier

Recordings of the presentations will be available for 30 days following the broadcast.