In military research, dates are important for reasons you may not know
One of the most important things you can do when researching World War I or World War II is pay attention to dates. That may sound obvious, but I’m referring to more than just the dates found on military records. You should also check the publication dates of the articles, blogs, websites, and research guides you use. Information about records access changes over time, and older resources may no longer reflect what is available today.
Take a website, for example, like my WWII Research and Writing Center, which has been online since 2015. Over the years I’ve added and occasionally updated articles as new records have been digitized, archives have expanded access, and my own research has uncovered better methods and sources. If you don’t pay attention to publication dates—or whether an article has been updated—you may rely on information that was accurate years ago but is no longer current.
Checking dates will also help you share more accurate information with others in social media groups. There is so much misinformation spread daily in these groups, in part because people believe all the records burned and don’t bother to learn anything new. But also because no one considers that records access may have changed and new information is available. It’s important to take a moment to verify when information was written. This may prevent outdated advice from continuing to circulate. Good military research depends not only on historical dates but also on knowing whether the guidance you’re following is current.
Dates on Military Records
Every military record contains a date somewhere. At least one date. Sometimes multiple dates. Let’s consider an Army Company Morning Report for example. This will have a date of the report at the top of the page. Then within the changes for individuals listed on the report, you may have additional dates. A Navy Muster Roll will have the date at the top of the Roster or Report of Changes and then for each individual you will also find an enlistment date (usually) and dates of changes. These dates are critical to the Timeline of Service you create to show the ships or units and places your veteran served.
While you are paying attention to dates on military records, keep in mind that whomever wrote or typed that report you are reading may have made a typo. Sometimes it isn’t necessarily a typo but other records for your veteran provide different dates. At that point it is up to you to amass the information through multiple sources and create a case for why one date is “better” or “more correct” than another. Always add source citations to back up your theories so others can follow in your footsteps.
The FOD
The FOD or Finding of Death is an important date to know about if you are researching someone who was MIA or Missing In Action during World War II. If someone was MIA for one year plus one day then the military issued the FOD. The FOD is the official, legal death date of the individual which means the family can then go handle the estate and receive death benefits. This FOD often confuses people when they research because records on Ancestry, Fold3, and NARA Catalog, to name a few sites, will have the FOD. Be sure to verify the actual date of the MIA status. If someone was part of a bomb crew that was shot down and not recovered or turned up as a POW, chances are good they died the date of that mission. That mission would be the likely official death date but the FOD could have been issued if the remains had not been recovered in the timeframe allotted by the military.
Records Access and Dates of Articles, Blog Posts, and Websites
Publication dates matter just as much. Since 2020 when the NARA system closed for two years, many changes too place. More records were digitized and came online. Access to some non-digitized records changed (more often than we’d like). New rules were implemented about access for on-site and email research. And the changes have not stopped since. For a couple years I tell clients and students when asked about access – to call the repository or look at their website and see what the current rules are as they plan a trip. There are too many archives and too many changes to keep up with it all.
Military records collections continue to grow as archives digitize new material, uncover forgotten collections, and improve online access. We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of digitized records available on NARA Catalog in the last two years alone. This includes a huge Army Company Morning Report collection. Although at the time I write this (July 5, 2026), we are still waiting for 1945 to be placed online.
If you were to search my WWII Research and Writing Center website for Army Morning Reports or Individual Deceased Personnel Files (IDPFs), many article results would appear dating back to 2015. Each will have different information and talk about access changes. This might lead you to question which article do you need?
My answer – read them all because I talk about different things in each of them. You will learn something new or review something you may already know. Seeing it in a new light by someone else may give you the ah-ha moment you need to move research forward.
BUT – while you read the older articles, remember than an article written five or ten years ago may accurately describe what was available at the time. Those articles or websites may no longer reflect the records available in one format that may have changed today. Those articles may also have changes to how researchers can access records today. Before relying on research advice, always check when the article was published to determine whether newer records, databases, or finding aids have since become available.
The same goes for military websites – you know the ones that go on and on and one in one long page and have tiny text? Those may have been created 10+ years ago and had “current” information back then. It may be completely outdated now.
Moving Through the Records and Dates
The best military research combines records with the historical context. Verify both the dates within the historical record and the publication dates of the resources you use to help you find answers. This will save time, money, and frustration.
Good research is not only about finding records, it’s about knowing when those records were created and where they were held. It’s about learning how access has changed, (what has disappeared), when they became accessible in various formats. What you couldn’t access five years ago may now be available.
By paying attention to the dates in records and the resources we use to find them, new discoveries can be easier and less frustration. Those new records we discover may even change what we know about the past.
Would You Like to Learn More?
Join my newsletter list at my online course site and grab a free copy of my new PDF The Research Roadmap. This will guide you through the information you need to start a project and which classes to take to move your research forward.
If you would like to learn how to research, click here to see upcoming small group coaching sessions to learn how to use Fold3, NARA Catalog, research Army or Navy service, find POW records, and more. These sessions come with extensive workbooks, plenty of Q&A for attendees, my 2-part research strategy and the replay. Need a researcher? I am taking research and book clients – email jennifer@ancestralsouls.com to set up a free consult to discuss your project.
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