On May 21, 2002, the Library of Virginia launched the database of Virginia
Military Dead.  Ultimately, the database will contain information on as
many as possible of Virginia’s military personnel (full-and part-time,
quasi-military, and civilian employees) who have died in service in
peacetime and in all of America’s twentieth and twenty-first century wars
and conflicts.  Researchers can find the database on the Library’s Web
site, http://www.lva.lib.va.us.  Click on “What We Have,” then on “Military
Records and Resources,” and finally on “Virginia Military Dead Database.”

Library of Virginia Reference Librarian Edwin Ray developed the database in
response to requests for statistics and names of casualties by regions of
the state.  At present, the database contains entries for more than 3,700
Virginia men and women who died during the Spanish-American War, the
Philippine Insurrection, the Mexican Border Punitive Expedition, and World
War I.  The China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion) also has been
researched with no Virginians identified among the casualties.  For this
Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2002, the library will add about 850 names from
the Korean War and about 1,300 names from the Vietnam War.  Then, the long
process of entering information about approximately 7,500 casualties from
World War II will begin.

The searchable format of the database allows the user to query by name, by
conflict, by combination of surname and conflict, by location, or by cause
of death.  Information fields for each entry include name, conflict,
gender, race, residence, county or city, branch of service, rank, cause of
death, date of death, place of death, source(s), and notes.

The information in the World War I part of this database complements the
information available in the World War I History Commission Questionnaires
completed by veterans or their families after the war.  Surprisingly, 488
entries overlap where surviving relatives provided information and details
of an individual’s war experience.  These entries are directly linked to
the digital copies of the questionnaires available on the Library’s Web
site.

During the development of the source lists for the database, a wide range
of materials was found pertaining to many different aspects of Virginia
wartime participation.  A search for materials uncovered stories of home
front support and sacrifice, military reminiscences, and general histories
as well as reference materials, registers of inductees, unit histories, and
magazine articles.

To assist researchers in finding these often elusive materials, Ray has
begun a series of  comprehensive bibliographies of  materials pertaining to
Virginia participation in the conflicts, covering all the collections
available in the Library of Virginia.  Two of the bibliographies in the
series have been completed: “Virginia’s Participation in World War I”
and “Virginia’s Participation in the Spanish American War, 1898; the
Philippine Insurrection, 1899–1901; and the China Relief Expedition, 1900–
1901.”  Both are available in the reading rooms of the library, and may be
viewed on the library Web site or copies may be requested from the
reference department (804-692-3777; [log in to unmask]).

Using the Web database and the bibliographies, researchers and family
historians will find many avenues to explore while gaining new insights
into the lives and times of these Virginia heroes.

To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html