USCT Pension Files: A Rich Resource for African American Genealogy, Part 1

[@YT4Me57]

My paternal grandmother and her children were the beneficiaries of the Act mentioned in this video. My grandfather was injured in WWI, spent most of his remaining years in VA nursing homes, dying in 1940 at age 46 of his injuries. Like the veteran cited, my grandfather had to fight both for his medical benefits and those of his wife and family. The government tried to make a case that he was born with lung problems and the mustard gas he was exposed to in the battlefields of France had nothing to do with his inability to breathe. He wrote a similar affidavit to support his contention that he and his family were eligible for benefits. Although my grandfather died young, my grandmother lived until age 94 and collected widows pension up until her death.

[@tanelise4673]

On April 23, 2023 I ordered the widow's pension file for my gg grandfather. Today, 9/20/23 I received a notice that it's awaiting shipment! 5 months! Hope it will be an informattion-rich file complete with slaveholder information. Update: no mention of his former Slave owner. Very disappointed. I did however learn of two children I didn't know he had.