General Yee to Lead Campaign for Historic U.S. Veteran Records

SILVER SPRING, MD – February 12, 2026 – The National Genealogical Society (NGS) has appointed Major General (Retired) Garrett S. Yee as the Honorary Chairman for its Veteran Bounty Land Records (VBLR) capital campaign, a major initiative aimed at preserving a vital piece of American history. The ambitious $2.5 million project seeks to digitize and provide free online access to over 360,000 historic bounty land warrant application files for veterans of America’s earliest wars, ensuring their stories of service are not lost to time.

This appointment brings a figure of distinguished military leadership to the forefront of a critical historical preservation effort. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the campaign represents a significant push to connect modern Americans with the personal legacies of the soldiers and sailors who helped forge the country.

A New Mission for a Veteran Leader

Major General (Ret.) Yee brings a lifetime of service to his new honorary role. A graduate of Santa Clara University with advanced degrees from Golden Gate University and the U.S. Army War College, his military career culminated in his role as Assistant to the Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). There, he supported the complex global communications and IT operations of the U.S. military before his retirement in 2022.

His commitment to service did not end with his military career. In civilian life, General Yee has continued to pursue mission-driven leadership roles in the defense and technology sectors. His dedication extends deep into his community, with a long history of involvement in veteran organizations such as the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA), the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. This public service record, which also includes leadership positions with the Boy Scouts of America and local civic commissions, underscores a consistent dedication to community and country that aligns perfectly with the preservation campaign.

“As we celebrate 250 years of the American experience, I am deeply honored to serve as Honorary Chairman of this effort to preserve and share important historical records of those who helped shape our nation,” said General Yee. “The bounty land files held at NARA reflect service and sacrifice while highlighting the immense value our country places on those who serve. The bounty lands were the way our nation compensated early American soldiers and sailors for their service. I am proud to help bring this project, and the stories of those men and women, to life.”

Unlocking the Stories of America's First Patriots

The records at the heart of this campaign offer a unique window into the lives of early American military veterans. From 1775 to 1855, the U.S. government used a bounty land system to encourage enlistment and reward service. Veterans of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, and various frontier conflicts could apply for a warrant that granted them ownership of a parcel of public land.

The amount of land varied by rank and era. A Revolutionary War private might have been entitled to 100 acres, while a major general could receive 1,100 acres. An 1855 act later standardized the grant to 160 acres for veterans with at least 14 days of service. These warrants could be used to claim land, often on the expanding frontier, or sold to others.

More than just property claims, the 360,000 application files housed at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) are a genealogical treasure trove. They often contain personal details about the veteran, including their age, residence, and specific details of their military service. For millions of Americans, these documents represent a tangible, and often missing, link to ancestors who served the nation in its formative years. Digitizing these fragile paper files will make them searchable and accessible to anyone, from professional historians to families just beginning to explore their roots.

A Coalition for Preservation

This monumental undertaking is not the work of a single organization but a powerful collaboration. The VBLR campaign is part of the larger 'Preserve the Pensions' initiative, a framework that has already proven successful. A previous project under this banner, which digitized the War of 1812 pension files, was a community-funded success driven by the Federation of Genealogical Societies before its 2020 merger with NGS.

For the current campaign, NGS has joined forces with lead partners including NARA, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and FamilySearch. Each partner brings critical resources and expertise. NARA, as the custodian of the records, provides the archival foundation. Its strategic plan includes a goal to digitize 500 million pages of records by 2026, supported by a new 18,000-square-foot Digitization Center that dramatically increases its in-house scanning capacity.

The DAR, a lineage society dedicated to historical preservation, and FamilySearch, a global leader in genealogical research and a major donor to past preservation efforts, provide crucial support and reach. This collaborative model pools financial resources, technical expertise, and volunteer power to tackle a project of this scale.

The Path to a Digital Future

With a fundraising goal of $2.5 million, the campaign has already made significant progress, having raised over $1 million since its official launch in 2023. The appointment of General Yee is expected to provide new momentum to the effort.

“We are honored to welcome General Garrett Yee as our Honorary Chairman,” said David E. Rencher, President of the National Genealogical Society. “Garrett's distinguished service to our nation and his leadership embody the spirit of this project, honoring those who served while connecting future generations with the personal narratives and legacies of their ancestors.”

NGS is extending an open invitation to genealogical societies, corporations, foundations, patriotic organizations, and individuals to contribute to the campaign. The success of the project hinges on this broad base of support, a common model for funding major cultural heritage initiatives in the museum and archival world.

Upon completion, the entire collection of digitized bounty land records will be made available online for free, removing barriers of distance and cost that have long kept these stories hidden. This effort will empower a new generation of researchers and family historians to discover the personal sacrifices and resilience that lie at the foundation of the American story.