[svcw]

Or his sons or his grandfather or his greatgrandfathers or greatgreatgrandfathers, well I guess second and third cousins would count.

[x]

Except for the Civil War, Americans in the mid-19th century usually didn't join the military. We had a very small Army and Navy in those days.

If you were too old or two young for the Civil War (or the wars with Mexico or Spain) chances are you didn't serve.

But really, do you want to have what your grandfather or great-grandfater did or didn't do to be held against you as though it were somehow your fault?