The only registration currently available to the public is from the Fourth Registration conducted on April 27, 1942. This registration was for men born on or between 28 April 1877 and 16 February 1897. It is presently available for the following states: Arkansas (partial), California (partial), Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana (partial), Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (partial), Ohio (partial), Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.  Note Wisconsin is not listed.

So what's available to Wisconsinites??

This page consists of 1) instructions of how to obtain WWII Draft Registration cards for DECEASED individuals from any of the seven draft registrations and 2) the actual data posted here is for individuals who were born in the Shawano County area but registered in the above mentioned states.  As soon as the information is released and we have access to it, this page will include WWII Draft Registration for people who registered from Shawano County.  So, why bother posting this index?  Well, if your family member MOVED out of Shawano County to ??? and registered for the Draft in April 1942 from one of the above mentioned areas, they are here!  So far, only about 300 lucky individuals are included in this database section -- but, if your "missing family" is mentioned and you now have a clue where they moved to after the Great Depression, this was well worth the look.

Now, for #1 -- HOW DO I GET COPIES OF MY FAMILY MEMBER'S WWII DRAFT REGISTRATION?  I've done this twice already, once for my Dad and again for my Uncle Ralph.  The registration card looks very much like the WWI Draft cards.  These are stored at the National Archives.  NARA has numerous locations throughout the country and the one that maintains WISCONSIN RECORDS is:

NARA - Great Lakes Region
7358 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629-5898

If you are seeking draft registrations for men born between the years 1878 and 1898 who registered for the Fourth Registration in April 1942, send the information for each individual in an email along with your mailing address or send it to the above snail mail address via the Post Office.  Please include their name, date of birth, and place of residence in 1942.  You do not need to send proof of death as these were 45+ years old when they registered in 1942.

Since neither my father or uncle appear in the only registration currently available to the public -- the Fourth Registration conducted on April 27, 1942, I contacted NARA in Chicago and filled out the attached form (if you are seeking draft registrations for men who registered for WW II and later).  There is no fee for the search -- NARA will notify you by mail with regard to the search results -- REMEMBER to include PROOF that the person is deceased... I used a copy of a death certificate for Dad but for my uncle, I just printed out his entry from the Social Security Death Index online and that sufficed.  When I originally contacted Chicago about my father in 2007, they explained they had the data but hadn't actually formed a plan to make this data available yet.  Since they hadn't done it before, they took my information and sent me a free copy.  Uncle Ralph's required a payment of $5.00 - and that was last month so I'm guessing they rethought the FREE idea.  Just fill out the form, mail it in (Do not send any payment yet!) and then they will send you a letter via the Post Office, letting you know if they located a document and if so, then you can send the fee in (Do not send cash) with a copy of their reply letter.  And about 10 days later, you have a copy like the one adjacent.  Any of the war draft cards are of interest as they contain birthplace, address, height, weight, etc. -- what I was looking for in Uncle Ralph's was a mention of a first marriage... young 18 year old Ralph was not married so I can narrow down the search a little there to 1942 - 1959...  The adjacent card shows Uncle participating in the 6th draft -- December 10-31, 1942 for men who reached the age of 18 since the previous registration.   BTW, should you be in the Chicago area, you can visit NARA and use their facilities in person. (Great "Chicago-style" hot dog stand down the block!)

NARA has other military (service) records available -- visit their site and see what's there - from passenger lists to military records, etc. GREAT RESOURCE and friendly people who answer your questions.

And on to #2... The mandatory military draft for WWII left behind the records of millions of men living in America who completed draft registration cards between 1940 and 1943. The majority of these draft cards are not yet open to the public for privacy reasons, but almost 6 million WWII draft cards completed during the fourth registration by men between the ages of 42 and 64 in 1942 are available for research. This registration, known as the "Old Man's Draft" provides a great deal of information on the men who participated, including their full name, address, physical characteristics, and date and place of birth.

• October 16, 1940 - all men 21-31 years residing in the U.S. - whether native born, naturalized, or alien
• July 1, 1941 - men who reached age 21 since the first registration
• February 16, 1942 - men 20-21 and 35-44 years of age
• April 27, 1942 - Men 45-64 years of age. Not liable for military service. Only draft cards open to public
• June 30, 1942 - Men 18-20 years of age
• December 10-31, 1942 - Men who reached the age of 18 since the previous registration
• November 16 - December 31, 1943 - American men living abroad, aged 18-44