World War I Draft Registrations of David Sarvetnick and David Savitt

In the 1930 Census Record for the Joseph Savitt family, there are two David Savitts listed .  One is the son of Joseph Savitt and the other is listed as the nephew of Joseph Savitt .  Both of these Davids registered for the World War I Draft.

Joseph’s son David registered on September 12, 1918 as David Savitt.

World War I Draft Registration for David Savitt

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the WW1 Draft Card for David Savitt – 1918. The document states that:

• David Savitt’s Serial Number was 1233 and his Order Number was 3316
• David’s permanent address was 1326 South Reece Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• David was 18 years old and his birthday was August 15, 1900
• He was a White, Non-Declarant Alien and a citizen of Russia
• His occupation was laborer and his employer was Sonia Fleischer
• His place of employment was 1217 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• His nearest relative was his mother, Ida Savitt whose address was 1326 South Reece Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• He was described as short, of medium build, with brown eyes and black hair

David, who was described as Joseph’s nephew in the 1930 Census, registered on June 5, 1917 as David Sarvetnick.

World War I Draft Registration for David Sarvetnick

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the WW1 Draft Card for David Sarvetnick – 1917. The document states that:

• Three numbers appear on David’s registration card:  708, 4829, and 37-6-1
• David’s permanent address was 1326 South Reece Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• David was 21 years old and his birthday was march 4, 1896
• He had declared his intention to become a citizen and was born in the Valucz Guber (Volhynia Gubernia) in Russia
• His occupation was shoe worker and his employer was Edwards Shoe Company
• His place of employment was 12th and Wood Streets, City (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• His father and mother in Russia were dependent on him for support
• He was single and of the white race
• He was described as of medium height, of slender build, with blue eyes and black hair

On the 1930 Census record, this David was reported as Joseph’s nephew .  This may be the same David Sarvetnick whose passenger manifest reported him as Joseph’s brother .  On the passenger manifest, he was 17 years old in 1911, indicating he was born in 1893-1894 .  On the 1930 Census, he was 31 years old, indicating he was born in 1898-1899 .  On this World War I Draft Card, he was born on March 4, 1896.

Although the dates don’t match, these three records are for the same person, since the address on the Draft Card was the same as Joseph’s son David Savitt, his occupation was the same as the David in the 1930 Census, his year of immigration was the same in the passenger manifest and on the 1930 Census, and his birthplace (Volhynia Gubernia, Russia) was the same on the passenger manifest and on the Draft Card.

The question remains, however, is this David the brother or the nephew of Joseph?

Blank World War I Draft Registration Cards are available at Ancestry.com so that you can read what the questions on the cards were .  Three different cards were used during different registration campaigns:

1. Registration on June 5, 1917 for men born between June 6, 1886 and June 5, 1896
2. Registration on June 5, 1918 for men born between June 6, 1896 and June 5, 1897 with a supplemental registration on August 24, 1918 for men born between June 6, 1897 and August 24, 1897
3. Registration on September 12, 1918 for men born between September 11, 1872 and September 12, 1900 who had not previously registered

Men already in the military did not have to register, but all other male residents of the United States between the ages of 18 and 45 were required to register, whether or not they were citizens.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko