When researching family history, some of the most valuable records can be found in unexpected places. In Kansas, military veterans often filed copies of their discharge papers with the county Register of Deeds. These records provided a safe local copy of their military service information and could later be used to help prove eligibility for veterans’ benefits.
Today, access to many of these records is restricted for privacy reasons. However, when I first began researching my family history years ago, these records were still accessible to researchers. Thanks to that earlier access, I was able to view the discharge records for both my father, who served during World War II, and my grandfather, Leon Crawford, who served during World War I.
Unfortunately, this was long before smartphones and digital cameras made it easy to capture images at the courthouse. Instead of photographs, I came home with handwritten notes copied from the original record book. While not as visually striking as the original document, those notes preserved important details about my grandfather’s service — including his enlistment information, physical description, military assignments, and the campaigns in which he served during the war.
Below is the transcription of the notes I made from Leon Crawford’s recorded honorable discharge in Ford County, Kansas.
Miscellaneous Book I p. 285
Register of Deeds
Ford County Government Center
Dodge City KansasHonorable Discharge
Leon Crawford #153713 Wagoner
born Newton Kansas
enlisted age 21 3/12 years of age
Switchman (occupation)
blue eyes, lt brown hair, ruddy complexion
5′ 9¼”discharged 28 March 1919
enlisted 26 April 1917 at Dodge City
appt. Wagoner 1 Mar 1919
2nd Class gunnerEngagements: Pontoise Outer Def. of Paris 31 Mar 1918
– 31 May 1918St. Misner [possibly St. Mihiel] 2nd Battle of Marne and
Outer Def. of Paris 28 June to 8 Nov 1918entitled to wear 2 gold service chevrons
25th AA Battery, 1st
Though I wish I had photographed the original record, I’m thankful that I took careful notes all those years ago. Those handwritten notes preserved details about my grandfather’s World War I service that might otherwise have been lost to time. They also serve as a reminder that valuable genealogical discoveries don’t always come from online databases — sometimes they come from courthouse books, handwritten notes, and the research trips we made long before digital photography and cloud storage existed.
Servicemen were routinely advised to register there discharge papers at the local courthouse for safe keeping.
Why were the discharge papers privatized at a greater distance in time? That seems counterintuitive!
I’m not sure. I found my father’s and grandfathers in miscellaneous records in the Ford county deeds office prior to privacy concerns. I know that current discharge papers have the social security number on them. I just checked my handwritten notes about my dad and his record in Ford county has the social security number on it. I live in Nemaha county where access to the military discharge papers is restricted — no matter the date. When the VFW built a memorial wall, they had to get special permission to access the records.
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