In celebration of Archives Month 2025 and E-Records Day (October 10th), the Nevada State Archives worked with Imaging & Preservation Services (IPS) to digitize and provide online access to the World War I military records preserved at the Nevada State Archives. Click here to explore the digital collection.

The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. During the first year, Nevada led the nation in the ratio of volunteer enlistments for the regular Army as compared to the quota set for the state at that time. The records held at the Nevada State Archives show that thousands of Nevadans served in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Nurses Corps, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps during World War I.

These service member records were tracked using a card index system at the federal level and then sent to each state’s Adjutant General. The Nevada State Archives’ digital collection contains the World War I Service Cards for the Nevadans who served in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and as Nurses in the U.S. Army. To aid in genealogy research, the digital collection allows you to filter the cards by place of birth, residence, and enlistment.

Search the digital collection here or browse through a few distinguished service members below:

Mary C. Jacobsen. Born in Christiana, Norway (modern day Oslo) in October 1882. Mary worked at the Steptoe Valley Hospital in East Ely, Nevada before serving overseas from July 11, 1918 to February 24, 1919. She was stationed as a reserve nurse at Base Hospital #29 in Le Courneau, France. Mary is one of ten women from Nevada known to have served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in World War I. 
Dorothy Harris. Born on August 16, 1898, and resided in Tonopah, Nevada. Dorothy enlisted on her 20th birthday at the Recruiting Station in San Francisco, CA at the rank of Yeoman 1st Class – Female. She was assigned to the Naval Hospital at Mare Island, the first U.S. Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. Dorothy is one of two women from Nevada known to have served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. 
Ferdinand Eugene Svendsen. Born in Norway in 1886 and resided in the railroad town of Verdi, Nevada. Ferdinand enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in Reno, Nevada on August 9, 1917. He was stationed at Mare Island, CA and served overseas from February 25, 1918 to July 25, 1919. In France, Ferdinand fought on the front lines in the Toulon Sector, the Third Battle of the Aisne in the Château-Thierry Sector, the Aisne-Marne Offensive, and the Marbache Sector near Pont-à-Mousson. He also fought in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, the first U.S.-led offensive of World War I, in September 1918. Ferdinand also participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in the Champagne region and helped push the German army back across the Meuse River. By the time he was discharged in August 1919, he had achieved the rank of Corporal and was awarded the French fourragère for his outstanding bravery and meritorious conduct in action.

The Nevada State Archives also has the service cards for any Nevadan who enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War I and World War II. Please contact the State Archives via our Ask an Archivist Form for more information.

Learn More About #ERecsDay:

Sponsored by the Council of State Archivists (CoSA), October 10th marks Electronic Records Day and promotes American Archives Month. Electronic records encompass any record that was created or “born” in a digital format. October 10th can be expressed as 1010, which is a nod to binary code. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about the crucial role electronic records play and provide guidance to state agencies on managing their electronic records.

America 250 LogoNevada Archives Month 2025 honors the 250th birthday of the U.S. Armed Forces (June 14, 1775) and Nevadans who served their country. Funding for Archives Month is provided by the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.