Were your ancestors war heroes? Believe it or not, vital clues to your family's history just might be hiding away in military archives - and finding them can be easier than you think. Even if you're not sure whether or not any of your ancestors ever served in the military, it can pay to do some digging. The payoff can be huge. First some background about what you're looking for and why. Fires in 1800 and 1814 destroyed the records of the American Army and Navy servicemen that were held at the.