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About Fold3

Fold3® provides convenient access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.


The records at Fold3 help you discover and share stories about these everyday heroes, forgotten soldiers, and the families that supported them. On Fold3, you can combine records found on the site with what you have in your own albums and shoeboxes to create an online memorial for someone who served.

Military records on Fold3
Premier Military Records

Fold3 is perfect for:

  • Historians
  • Genealogists
  • Researchers
  • Enthusiasts
  • Family Historians
  • Teachers
  • Veterans & their families
  • Institutions —Learn more


Why the name Fold3?

The Fold3 name comes from a traditional flag folding ceremony in which the third fold is made in honor and remembrance of veterans who served in defense of their country and to maintain peace throughout the world.


Company History

The concept for Fold3 is rooted in the company's years of experience in the digitization business as iArchives, Inc. Starting in 1999, iArchives digitized historical newspapers and other archive content for leading universities, libraries and media companies across the United States.


From the beginning, the iArchives team developed a unique understanding of the value of creating an online repository for the world's original source documents. Leveraging the proprietary systems and patented processes built for the digitization of paper, microfilm and microfiche collections, the management team made a strategic decision: Use the iArchives platform to provide access to these historically significant and valuable collections.

In January of 2007, we launched Footnote.com with over 5 million original documents and quickly established it as a go-to website for historical document research—especially military document research. In October of 2010 Ancestry.com purchased iArchives, including Footnote.com. In August 2011, Footnote.com was rebranded as Fold3 as part of a move to focus on creating the premier website for military records. Today we continue to grow and bring to life history that was once hidden.