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January 7, 2019 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

War Stories – An Educational Project in Vietnam

Last year I was approached by a teacher in Vietnam named Ngoc Diệu Nguyễn who was creating a program to share on Microsoft Education called War Stories.   Nguyễn was planning to bring healing to students, veterans of both sides of the Vietnam war, and the world through her program. I was happy to participate because helping the world heal from war is one of my missions.

Program Description from the website:

This collaborative project aims at sparking understanding, empathy, compassion and spreading peace by giving students the chance to talk to veterans, their family members and then share the untold frontline and home front stories with the world.

It is widely accepted that ‘History is written by the victors’ (Winston Churchill). So how much do we really know about history? This collaboration will open students’ eyes and hearts to the connections historically and emotionally shared between the Vietnamese and Americans or among people directly and indirectly involved in any wars in the history. These connections can be felt regardless of war or time or place.

At the completion of the project, students will be able to develop their interviewing, writing, editing skills, their emotional skills and other 21st century skills including Collaboration, Communication, Creativity & Innovation, Self-Direction, Making Global Connections, Making Local Connections, Using Technology as a Tool for Learning. For those learning English as a foreign language or a second language, their four language skills are expected to be improved as well.

If you watch the video, you will see me and a little about my participation and meet many others who contributed to the project. I also gave permission for some of the writing prompts out of my book, Stories from the WWII Battlefield: Volume 3 Writing the Stories of War. This allowed students who do not have access or funds to purchase books, to have additional resources to use when interviewing family members or veterans. Be sure to scroll down the entire page she has set up to meet many other contributors and learn more about the project.

Ngoc asked for my expertise in military research and writing after having been referred to me by David Estes a Vietnam veteran, who runs the Livingston Country War Museum, in Pontiac, IL. David participates in Skype in the Classroom and connected with Ngoc that way. The war museum is an amazing place and worth a several hour visit if you are near Pontiac. You never know who will walk in the door (think veterans with beautiful smiles, lots of energy, laughter, and so many stories!) You can view interviews I conducted with some of the veterans at the museum and a tour of the museum, on my YouTube Channel.

To learn more about War Stories, you can explore the following links.

  1. An overview and progress report.
  2. Where some interactions between students and veterans take place https://flipgrid.com/du79l3w  Use password: warstories2018
  3. Facebook page

Would you like to contribute to the project or contact Ngoc to ask questions or participate in an interview? You can email Ngọc.

© 2019 WWII Research & Writing Center

Filed Under: Genealogy, Healing, Research, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, Vietnam, Writing Tagged With: 75th anniversary D-Day, ABMC, cemetery, genealogy, hire a WWII researcher, IDPF, Individual Deceased Personnel File, Jennifer Holik, Korean War, Microsoft, Microsoft Education, NPRC, travel, Vietnam War, War Stories, webinar, WWI, WWII, WWII Researcher

December 31, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Professional Researchers and Empathy

Happy almost New Year!

The end of 2018 has arrived, although I am not quite sure where this year went. While there were moments it felt as if it dragged on and I would never see the light at the end of the tunnel, most days seemed to fly by. As I sit here in these final hours of the year, I have been journaling a lot about my targets for the early part of 2019. I have been evaluating my business, what it has been, what it can no longer be, and what it must become. Who I must become to create in a new way.

I am writing my memoir and a couple of other books at the same time because the world requires hope and inspiration. I require an outlet for some of what I have experienced and felt. I was also put on this earth to help others discover new possibilities to cope with the unknown and difficult. This is requiring me to be very vulnerable and open. Something that is sometimes difficult.

The research we, as professionals, do for people can have serious repercussions in their lives and family. However, in general in the genealogy and military research communities, I don’t see people talking about this. Why is that?

Scrolling through Facebook today, a friend and genealogy colleague we will call “S” posted a meme shared by another colleague that LOL’d the pain a family was going to experience because DNA tests were purchased. There was a family secret the mom had not shared because of her intense grief. “S” stated as professionals or humans, we should not be LOLing or sharing hurtful things, or commenting in ways that cause people pain. We do not know the whole story. Some comments on the original poster’s thread were basically that ‘people need to get over the past and move on.’ Or other more hurtful comments I will not repeat here.

Really? It is THAT easy to forget what happened in the past that caused someone intense pain and grief and was passed down through the family, often unknowingly? Further, how would you feel if someone made comments like this to you about your family? Have we become so uncaring as a society or is it that social media allows people to behave like asses with no consequences to their words or behavior?

What I am seeing many professionals – in any business – lack these days is empathy and the ability to connect on a deeper level with clients to help them navigate the information discovered through genealogical or military research or even DNA.

Empathy is defined as: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Isn’t this what we should be striving for? Not an attitude of ‘let me take your money, toss you some papers, and let you sort yourself out.’

What would it take for the people of the world to start showing more empathy? How could our world change if we did?

I am different……

The primary reason new clients have chosen to work with me is the fact I provide empathy and answers. I go deeper that anyone else in my field and help them sort out the past. I cannot stand by and let someone else suffer with the questions or uncertainty, when I can provide answers, hope, and often a message from their loved one. One client recently sent a testimonial,

“Incredible!  Whether your looking for the smallest of detail, the answer to a question, or the entire story…Mrs. Holik is the researcher, the expert to work with.  I was amazed as to the details, the actual written records, and pictures that she was able to find surrounding my father’s time overseas during WWII…so very much information/detail, even though I wasn’t able to give her much to go on, just my father’s name and that he was in the Army.  Another unexpected, but very special characteristic of Mrs. Holik’s work was her sensitivity, her compassion, her love for the work she’s doing, and for the actual individuals (both alive and having passed) she was working on and for.  She conveyed her sincere interest and care every time, whether on the phone, or in her written communications with me.  Her work is very special, the product that she produces is very special, and she is one very special person.” ~~ Rich Williams

If you are interested in working with a researcher who digs deep, provides empathy, helps you sort out the family stories, secrets, shame, guilt, all in a confidential manner, and help you process the information we discover, I am taking new clients at this time. Feel free to contact me for a free phone consultation to discuss research options, costs, and timelines.

© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center

Filed Under: Genealogy, Healing, Spirituality, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, WWI, WWII Education Tagged With: 75th anniversary D-Day, ABMC, cemetery, empathy, genealogy, hire a WWII researcher, IDPF, Individual Deceased Personnel File, Jennifer Holik, Korean War, NPRC, travel, Vietnam War, WWI, WWII, WWII Researcher

October 26, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Releasing Our Family’s Choices & Experiences

If you have been following the articles and videos for the last week or so, I have been bringing up some strong questions. Questions which make people stop and react – positively or negatively. My point of view is that we should be looking at the other aspects of our family and military histories. What we discover can help us move forward and create a better, happier life. It also helps clear the past of negative energies.

I have spent a lot of time the last decade looking at the darker parts of my family’s history and the military history we have. I have helped many clients look at this as part of their research or writing projects. We all come out of the project changed and ready to create something greater for ourselves and our families. Are you ready to create something better?

Ask us how we can help you learn more about your family’s past – going deeper than the basic facts.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

Filed Under: Coaching, Facilitation, Genealogy, Healing, Spirituality, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, Travel, WWII Education Tagged With: ABMC, college park, consciousness, empath, energy healer, family history, finding the answers journey, genealogy, hire a korean war researcher, hire a military researcher, hire a vietnam researcher, hire a WWII researcher, inherited trauma, medium, NARA, NPRC, PTSD, soul, travel, WWII

October 24, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Why Do We Keep Repeating History? A Look at WWII.

Last weekend Johan and I traveled to the Dutch/German border near Aachen and spent a few days exploring WWII history and contemplating family history. I did a lot of writing on this trip. Musings. Questions. Concerns. Joyful things. All of this was captured in my journal.

One thing that keeps showing up the longer I am in Europe on this trip is that history keeps repeating itself. We are not doing enough to stop this.

In September while at the unveiling of a new WWII memorial in the Netherlands, during a speech someone said something to the effect that the Dutch have lived in relative peace for almost 75 years. The current young generations have no idea what it is like to live in fear or hunger. They in many ways take their freedom for granted as if this is how it has always been and this is how it will always be.

Wrong attitude.

The Dutch seem to be the only European country (that I have witnessed) consistently educating their youth on the history and events of WWII. I can say that having kids in American schools, they are not being educated on any of this beyond 5 minutes here or there. My boys know about our family’s history and sacrifices because I take time to explain it. They know how things work in other countries because I explain it. Knowing American schools are not educating about the past in a way that we can stop the division, anger, hate, and war in the present or cause our kids to QUESTION everything, stirs a lot of emotion in me. Rather than question, students are being taught to follow the crowd like sheep and buy into everything the media, government, school, church, etc. tells them is “truth”.

In the Netherlands, the school children participate in commemorations and other events so the history is alive. In other countries in Europe it seems to be covered up, changed, ignored, slid under the carpet.

Case in point, we watched a National Geographic investigative program on Mussolini the other night after we visited the Nazi Training Facility at Vogelsang in the German Eifel. I have not studied Italian history beyond early family history for a client so was unaware that Mussolini was in power so long in the 1930s and Hitler modeled himself after Mussolini. Then the historians in the program made an important point – when rulers are losing power or the country is going to hell, they create a DISTRACTION. That distraction is war.

Mussolini took his country into war with Ethiopia and won yet lost. WWII began and eventually Italy, who originally sided with Hitler, lost that connection and became an Allie. From the program and what I’ve heard, Italy does not educate their youth the way the Dutch do. There is a rise in Fascism today because people want a new Mussolini. They seem to have no concept of what happened in the past to bring him to power, the destruction he caused, and his downfall and the state of Italy afterward.

Thinking about all we have seen in the last two months in Europe, the programs I have watched, the places we visited, the history I read, the clients I have been working with, I did a lot of writing on this topic before we visited Margraten, the Netherlands American Cemetery for WWII. In this sacred place I wandered the graves, visited some specific soldiers, was snagged to stop and talk to others, and contemplated all of this. Having family members who fought, were changed, or died, in WWI and WWII, I do not understand why we keep forgetting the past. Why we continue to carry the sins of the fathers around like they are ours. Why we are so afraid to bring our family darkness to the light and explore it. Forgive it. Release it. Find closure.

Some of my thoughts are contained in this video. Some invitations and questions for YOU are also here. Have you taken the time to consider these things? What roles have your family members played in the past – whether WWII, WWI, or even before that, to continue looping history? Do you think it is time to let these things go and stop carrying them in our families?

Additional reading: for background on this trip and where some of my questions came from, you are invited to read the other articles I wrote where I touch on these topics.

Are you ready to explore your family’s history or military history? Explore our services and educational materials to learn more.

© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center

Filed Under: Cemeteries, Genealogy, Healing, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, Travel, Writing, WWII Education Tagged With: ABMC, cemetery, consciousness, family history, Fascism, finding the answers journey, genealogy, Germany, hire a korean war researcher, hire a military researcher, hire a vietnam researcher, hire a WWII researcher, Hitler, Italy, Margraten, mussolini, NARA, Nazi, NPRC, travel, WWII, wwii in italy, WWII Travel

October 22, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

The Lessons of Vogelsang

Johan and I visited Vogelsang, a former Nazi Training Facility and Tourist hot spot/wedding venue during the 1930s and early 1940s. Standing in this place now, looking out over the beautiful fall Eifel National Park, and knowing the history of this place, was hard to wrap my head around.

The National Socialist Documentation Center, which we visited and saw the exhibit, “The Master Race”, offers these questions on their website:

  • What was the attraction of a place like Vogelsang during the National Socialist period?
  • What did the party leadership promise young men coming here regarding their future?
  • What motivated their hopes and their desire for social advancement?
    Were they, through drill and formation, predestined to participate in crimes, or could they have also said no?
  • Did they see themselves as members of a supposed master race and act upon this?

After we viewed the exhibit and walked most of the complex, I had no answers to those questions. I only had more questions and uncertainty about the world and the humans who inhabit it.

One thing we have to remember, especially in this day and age is that We did not commit the sins of our fathers but we carry them in our DNA. What would it take for us to release this burden we carry that is not ours? What would it take to stop using energetic words that cause us to take on the energy of others like saying, “I’m embarrassed or I’m ashamed or I feel guilty” when we have no reason to take this on because we are not the ones doing whatever we are apologizing for. Maybe most importantly, what would it take for people to stop acting like sheep and following the pack and believing everything they are told? What would it take for more people to wake up and start questioning everything?

How might our world change? Could we stop the war, anger, hate, division, and all the other negativity in this reality?

My invitation to you is to start looking at the darker sides of your family and military history. Bring those things into the light and release the shame, guilt, sadness, negativity, darkness, horror, whatever it is that is stuck there. Let it go. Forgive. Move on to create a better future.

Would you like help researching your family or military history? Would you like to explore the darker sides of your history to clear and release the past?

© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center

Filed Under: Genealogy, Healing, Holocaust, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, Travel, WWII Education Tagged With: ABMC, finding the answers journey, Germany, hire a korean war researcher, hire a military researcher, hire a vietnam researcher, hire a WWII researcher, NARA, Nazi, NPRC, travel, vogelsang, WWII, wwii history, WWII Travel

October 16, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Are You Ready to Explore More of You & Your Family?

Learn more at Finding the Answers Journey after watching the video.

© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center

Filed Under: Coaching, Facilitation, Genealogy, Healing, Spirituality, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, Travel, Writing Tagged With: ABMC, anticipated grief, college park, compassion fatigure, consciousness, creative writing, finding the answers journey, grief, hire a korean war researcher, hire a military researcher, hire a vietnam researcher, hire a WWII researcher, journaling, NARA, NPRC, online education, PTSD, travel, WWII

October 9, 2018 by Jennifer Holik 2 Comments

Holocaust History – Fort Breendonk, Belgium

Healing the past.

Johan and I visited Belgium recently and spent part of a day at Fort Breendonk. The fort was in use during World War I, but our primary interest, and what was contained in most of the fort, was the history of what took place there in World War II. During WWII it was used as a concentration transit camp.

I was aware it would be a day of healing for the past, present, and future. I was aware the day would impact me in ways I could not have imagined prior to visiting. I almost expected to be bombarded with voices and energy, yet that is not what happened. For the most part, it was serene, which did not fit with the amount of torture, abuse, and deprivation that took place there.

Walking into the front of the fort, it doesn’t look that big. However, when you walk across the bridge into the tunnel that leads into the heart of the fort, you quickly realize this is not a warm, friendly place. There are many rooms with photos that describe what the rooms were used for and provide stories of the men, women, and children who passed through the doors.

In one room there are twelve large photos of men who were executed at the fort for their Resistance activities. Across the hall from this room, there are walls filled with names of those who passed through this camp and those who died here. There are urn-like cylinders in the middle of the room with the names of the major concentration camps. There are flowers in the niches on one wall to honor those who are no longer with us. We must never forget.

Moving deeper into the fort we found barracks rooms with huge iron door bars which were placed across the door so no one could escape. Within each of the barracks rooms, we heard stories of those lived there, saw artifacts that were in the rooms, and felt the chill of death. Some rooms felt colder than others. Across from each barracks room were long sinks. I listened to one story that described what a prisoner had to do upon being woken each morning which included making their bed, washing up, getting dressed, and other things, all within 3-4 minutes. If they were even 1 second past the time limit allowed, they were denied food, coffee, water, and often subjected to hard labor for a day.

Not only were there barracks rooms but rooms with tiny cells for prisoners. In most of the cells we saw, no light would enter once the prisoner’s door was closed. I cannot imagine being locked in one of these rooms for even five minutes. The energy in those rooms did not feel good.

In the center of the fort, outside, we went into a small red building that had large photos of several SS men and women who worked at the camp. I could not sit and listen to every story because the ones I heard were terrible and my mind, heart, and soul were churning with questions. One man, Fernand Wyss, was one who loved torture. He was active in the torture chamber and often gave the final shot in executions. He was quoted as saying,

“I carried out so many assaults in Breendonk I can no longer tell one from the other. I was motivated by love of violence. This is hell and I am the devil (was his motto.)”

Fernand was 21 years old and was responsible for beating and killing at least 16 people and beating or abusing at least 167 people.

Hearing about him made me a bit sick. It didn’t help he looks just like someone I know in Europe either. I often wonder when we leave one life, do we show up in another looking almost the same and playing out some of those roles?

Many of the SS individuals featured in this building and through stories were tried by Belgian or German courts after the war and executed. A few were never found.

After you walk through 3/4 of the fort, you end up outside to walk around the back side where you find a work field and execution area. The outside today, is beautiful. Peaceful. Surrounded by a moat where you see birds, ducks, geese, and other animals. With a blue sky and sun shining brightly, for a moment you almost forget where you are. I wonder how many prisoners felt that way. Did any of them take comfort in the beauty that existed outside the dark, cold barracks and fort? Did it give any of them hope?

At the execution area, I walked in to read the plaques there, one of which contained the names of those who were executed. Trying to move farther into the area and look at the places where guns would have come out of the concrete fort structure, I felt an overwhelming sense of negative energy. It was too much and I had to walk away from that area. I cleared some energy and waited for Johan to finish reading the plaques. Then we moved back inside the fort to see the last few rooms, which contained a lot of Holocaust history and photos.

Leaving the fort, we walked across a bridge that felt and sounded like it had seen better days. From the bridge you could see one of the observation towers. I took some beautiful photos of the bridge and area and again had trouble reconciling what I was seeing on this beautiful day with the history of the place.

By this time we had been at the fort about three hours. The ticket lady told us to expect two to three hours for our visit. Looking at the fort, as I mentioned above, I didn’t think we’d be there that long. There really is a lot to see and hear there.

The fort had a small entrance fee and we were given audio tour radios to listen to the many stories throughout the space. The ticket area which contained a small gift shop also had the audio guide for the tour available for sale. I did not purchase that as I felt I was on overload and didn’t want any more of the energy with me after I left.

For those doing genealogical research, the fort has a lot of history, stories, and photos. It is a treasure trove for families who had someone imprisoned here or who worked here.

There is a nice restaurant just outside the fort entrance if you are hungry. We had a late lunch and sat in the sun trying to process what we had just experienced.

There are really no words for what took place here. A few days later I am still processing what I saw and heard. Johan and I sat outside behind the fort for a while discussing the stories. Wondering how people could be so horrific and enjoy abusing, torturing, and making life hell for others. What drives a person to become that? What has to happen in their lives (or past lives) that creates this?

The bigger question – what can we do or be to change this? To release the hate and heal? What else is possible?

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© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center

Filed Under: Europe, Genealogy, Healing, Holocaust, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, Travel Tagged With: ABMC, Belgium, college park, concentration camp, education, finding the answers journey, fort breendonk, gypsies, hire a korean war researcher, hire a military researcher, hire a vietnam researcher, hire a WWII researcher, history, holocaust, jews, NARA, never forget, NPRC, travel, WWII, WWII Travel

September 19, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Can We Stop the Stigma of History?

Last weekend I was in Son, Netherlands for the Operation Market Garden (OMG) commemorations and living history for the 101st Airborne. Coming up this weekend in Arnhem, they will be commemorating the British aspect of OMG. As I was in the Airborne re-enactment camp, I spoke to many Dutch people about the stigma of war that still exists in society and families today. I spoke to many about the past, the choices that were made, and how we heal in the present and move forward.

My point of view is, the past is not all black and white or right or wrong or good or bad. It just isn’t one or the other. We live in a completely different time, our way of life is completely different than those who lived through WWII (or any other time period for that matter.) It is not ours to judge the past but to observe, research, understand, see the choices that were made in circumstances we cannot imagine. We were not there so who are we to judge?

What would it take for the stigma and secrets of the past to be brought into the light? Is it possible we can take one step into the light and talk about our families and their choices without fear of being cast out of society? What would that one step into the light change for us, the past, the present, and the future?

Are you brave enough to look into your dark past? Are you brave enough to take one step into a brighter future?

© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center

Filed Under: Genealogy, Healing, Spirituality, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, WWII Education Tagged With: ABMC, Airborne, choice, college park, finding the answers journey, hire a korean war researcher, hire a military researcher, hire a vietnam researcher, hire a WWII researcher, history, judgment, NARA, NPRC, Operation Market Garden, public history, travel, WWII

September 4, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Announcing a New Resource for Genealogists & Military Researchers

I’m so excited to announce a new arm of my business, Finding the Answers Journey.

What can you expect in this space? My target is to create a space in which we can have conversations about the deeper issues, secrets, stories, and questions we encounter as we research our family and military histories. It will also be a place of one-on-one facilitation to help you move through the layers of your family’s past and find closure.

Over the last couple of years, many of the people hiring me have been asking for the deeper things. They want to know more than the basics or skimming the surface of who their father/grandfather/uncle/brother/mother, etc. was or what they did in military service or life.

My clients have questions about who these people really were. They want to explore the different layers of who they were, what their life was, what their family was and is, and how they are affected by the sum. Clients want to know how someone’s military experience or life experiences shaped who they were, and in turn, shaped who their descendants became. Many clients are coping with anticipated grief as they caregive for a parent who is dying or dealing with a long-term illness. Many are dealing with inherited trauma, compassion fatigue, anticipated grief, and PTSD. In this new space we will be exploring many of these issues and more. My husband has been dealing with cancer and other health issues since a month after we met. Now 2 1/2 years later we are still dealing with things. In this space I will be sharing my experiences and resources I use to cope.

To begin, you can sign up for our Free Member’s Area with articles, videos, writing tools, and additional resources. When you join you will also be subscribed to our newsletter.

Coming Soon!

In the next couple of weeks I am launching a book club. This isn’t your typical book club though. Each month or two, depending on the size of the book I choose, you will have the option to purchase access to that month’s book club. Included in the purchase offer will be:

  • Access to a list of questions to use while you read the book.
  • Access to the book club webinar, or in the cases of some books which have a lot to discuss, two webinars.
  • Live webinar with panelists. For some books the author will participate as a panelist.
  • Ability to view a replay of the webinar should you miss it live.
  • Writing prompts and additional questions for discussion to help you learn more about your family and Find the Answers.
  • Special limited-time offers on online classes, future webinars, and other resources.

Be sure to sign up for our Free Member’s Area. This grants you a subscription to our newsletter to learn what we are doing to help you dig deeper into your research to Find the Answers and closure to the past to create a better future.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

 

Filed Under: Facilitation, Genealogy, Healing, Research, Spirituality, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, Travel Tagged With: ABMC, ancestry, burial file, coaching, facilitation, genealogy, healer, healing, hire a military researcher, IDPF, Jennifer Holik, military genealogy, military museum, museum, NARA, NPRC, soul, therapy, veterans, WWI, WWI researcher, WWI writer, WWII, WWII Researcher

August 9, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Book Review – The In Between

Erin Faith Allen has released a new book, The In Between. The book documents her journey through Eastern Europe, concentration camps, and the recovery of Latvian soldiers still missing since World War II.

This book is unlike any other I’ve read. It is part art book, trip diary, personal journal, and transformational guidance. I love how raw Erin is in her words and emotions. She tells us what she is experiencing and how it feels. Most of us might write about a journey we took and hit the highlights. Few of us would go as deep as Erin did in describing how each moment affected us or helped us release the past. It is incredible.

It is not a book that I feel can be read in one sitting. It is something to be read in pieces. Savored. Considered. With time to process what we have read and seen in her artwork, and what is in our own lives and experiences. It took me several days to move through this book. At each stop point, I had reached a personal point in which I needed to think about what Erin had said and expressed in her photos and art.

Erin asks tough questions and explores tough themes in her book. These revolve around Nazis, Germany in World War II, the Holocaust, the missing and dead from all countries, civilians under German or Soviet occupation. She also delves into deeper, darker topics like aggression of soldiers, rape of women, and treatment of mankind. I applaud her for exploring these themes in her work.

Erin’s words and art pose many questions which I feel readers should consider. There may be some people who would not consider this a suitable book club book, but I disagree. Here are some questions to consider as you read through this incredible book.

  1. Erin’s raw words explain how this trip changed her life and helped her move through a break-up. How has travel changed your life, particularly when you were moving through a tough time?
  2. Erin opens the long closed can of worms regarding Nazis, occupation, rape, treatment of people. Should we be talking more about these topics in relation to what our ancestor’s experiences were and how they affect us today or should we still be keeping secrets?
  3. Related to that, women are still experiencing rape and mistreatment in society. More are speaking out, we see marches and movements taking place in the last couple of years. How do these topics from the past or today affect your family? Are you exploring this, talking about it, and healing the past and present? Or is there still a lot of shame, guilt, and other negative emotion surrounding these topics that we still cannot talk of them?
  4. How does art – in any medium – change us? Help us transform? Help us release the past and heal? Do you create to process your emotions?
  5. What do you think of how history was written after the war and even today? Consider what was said, what was left out, and how the “truth” of what was can sometimes be hidden under the rug.
  6. Finally, how did this book change you?

Personally, this book changed me on many levels. I research World War II, but not in the same way Erin does. Her work has taken her into the darker areas of the war’s history. A place I have barely dipped my toes into. I am not ready to really go there. I applaud Erin for having the courage to go there AND to tell the stories. Her book inspired me to take another look at a book I have been writing about part of my own life. I’m more willing to finish my book and be raw and vulnerable now that I have read Erin’s book. It is truly inspiring.

Read more about the WWII experience and how some people process the information or experience in my article, Are You Exploring the Entire Combat Experience?

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

Filed Under: Books, Holocaust, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, WWII Education Tagged With: ABMC, ancestry, burial file, Erin Faith Allen, genealogy, healer, healing, hire a military researcher, holocaust, IDPF, Jennifer Holik, Latvia, military genealogy, Nazi, NPRC, soul, The In Between, WWI, WWI researcher, WWI writer, WWII, WWII Researcher

August 1, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Book Review – Architects of Death

I was sent an Advanced Reader Copy of the book, Architects of Death. The Family Who Engineered the Death Camps, by Karen Bartlett. The book is due to be released in August 2018.

Overall the book was very interesting. Being an empath and medium, I did set a barrier around my house and myself before I began reading it and honestly, read most of it outside where the energy could ground into the earth. This is not an easy book to read, although it does NOT get graphic in the description of what happened to the victims of the death camps/concentration camps, except in a couple instances. For that I was grateful. I just finished reading a book about Japanese POWs and their treatment so a reprieve from such graphic descriptions was good.

For families homeschooling their children, this book would be appropriate for junior or senior level students and give you a lot to discuss.

The book focused more on the history of the Topf family, their often unstable personalities, their business, and what led them to work with the SS to create the ovens and other “necessary” items for the cremation and gassing systems of many camps. Throughout the book the Topf family and others high up in the company who were responsible for these items wrote their documents in such a way, even during interrogations later, about their innocence in it all and how it was just standard operating procedure to supply the necessary items to dispose of so many remains which died of disease. All the while knowing what they were doing and why. The author did give enough background to each of the main characters for readers to understand what might have led them to the choices they made. This included the description of many who served in World War I and after that saw no value in human life. Their struggle to survive in whatever fashion that meant and reach their goals was all that was important.

By 3/4 of the way through the book I was a bit tired of it. The author presented a lot of snippets of documents and statistics throughout the whole book, which at first were fine, but by later in the book I started skimming so I could get to the end where the descendant explained his interest in the Topf family business and the Memorial they created to acknowledge the role the family played and the impact it had. The descendant made it clear that he still struggles with the sins of the fathers and how he views his father and other family members.

The author did end the book prior to her Conclusion chapter, with a question. How would we act today?

Did you notice that didn’t say, What would I have done? Which is usually the question people ask and then we go into judgment of everything and everyone without knowing what led them to make those choices.

The book brought up a lot of questions for me and a lot of themes I feel family and military historians should look at when we explore our own family’s role in World War II or any war.

1. How would we act today?

2. The shock one may go into when discovering a family member or a family business was responsible for some horrible event in history (define that as you need to.)

3. The questions that rise when we discover said act(s) or choices and no one is left to ask. Then what do we do? In this case, Hartmut Topf set out to learn the history of his family’s involvement in the creation of the ovens and all that was attached to that. Then to create a Memorial in Erfurt, Germany to remind people of what happened there and give them pause to think on the effects so this doesn’t happen again.

Having traveled through parts of western Germany and western Europe, it did not go unnoticed that the Germans do not memorialize what took place for WWI or WWII as is done in the rest of Europe. From what I observed and was told, memorials to soldiers are attached to churches for the most part. Or sometimes I have seen them as a small almost “invisible” monument somewhere in town. It is known that most every country rewrites their history so the bad parts are wiped away. This is documented. We know what was and was not taught in schools after World War II and we see how even in our own country today, parts of history are being wiped away. The Topf business histories even ignore their role in the war or leave those years out altogether. How are we serving the past, present, and future by ignoring what happened? What would change if we understood and could not stand in judgment of it all?

4. Traveling as much as I do, this book brought up another question – how much of the past do we never know about as we travel because there are no memorials or reminders? The thoughts in #3 above speak to this somewhat, but as I read this book and thought – ok a friend was just in these cities mentioned and said nothing about knowing the history of the war there. These aren’t things tourism sites or cities usually advertise on their websites or travel brochures. So how do we discover these deeper and darker parts of history, whether WWII or some other war? I think it requires us to look into the histories of the places we choose to visit. Again, as an empath and medium, sometimes I feel things or am aware of things but can’t always put my finger on exactly what/when/where/who it was – I had not considered until I read this book that there are pieces of history that are never discussed.

5. Believing what took place. One Topf family descendant, Udo, saw photographs of the camps, the corpses, the ovens. Read the history. Even visited the camps, yet still could not wrap his mind around the fact his family participated in the creation of it all. Udo had a long career with the company after the war and being loyal to family (whatever that specifically meant to him), he had trouble seeing his family was culpable in this. He talked of blame and what the family should or should not have done.

This is where we get into those grey areas of judgment, conclusion, questioning what we would have done. We weren’t there so in my point of view that question isn’t possible to answer. My point of view is to learn, observe, ask questions about what happened, who was involved, and try to understand the 100 other experiences and choices that led to them saying YES to whatever they chose that had a tremendous impact on the world, the lives of millions, and history. This is also where we have to ask – is it my responsibility to carry the sins of my fathers and the past? What responsibility, if any, do I have here?

Hartmut Topf chose responsibility as his decision to create a memorial and educate people about the dark past.

This book had many more questions and themes that apply to family and military historians. It also illustrates the path taken by one business family in the creation of a killing machine during the war. In my point of view, learning about these people, their personal histories, the company history, that of the political and social situation in Germany from prior to World War I to today, gives us all a new perspective on the war and what took place. Using what we learn through the book and all the questions raised, I think we can create change in the world that allows us to stop hurting each other. If we choose that path.

I’m not finished with my thoughts on this book. I’ll be releasing a new project in the coming months with books as the focal point. Stay tuned to learn more and how this may affect how you perceive, judge, research, write, and heal your family’s history.

Disclaimer: The book link is an affiliate link and I make a small royalty off your purchase. This does not affect your purchase price.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

Filed Under: Books, Holocaust, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, WWII Education Tagged With: ABMC, ancestry, Auschwitz, burial file, concentration camps, Dachau, genealogy, healer, healing, hire a military researcher, holocaust, homeschool, IDPF, Jennifer Holik, Mathuausen, military genealogy, NPRC, soul, WWI, WWI researcher, WWI writer, WWII, WWII Researcher

July 30, 2018 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Are You Exploring the Entire Combat Experience?

I’ve spent more than 20 years in the fields of genealogy/family history and military history with a focus the last decade on World War I and World War II. I taught myself a lot where genealogy was concerned and attended classes and conferences. I participated in the community’s professional genealogy education. Throughout everything I studied or read, the focus was on names, dates, places, sometimes historical context, but never on exploring the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual side of family.

When I began researching in-depth both world wars, which led me to teach and write books on how to research any branch, there was no one to teach me what to do. No one in the country had written educational materials. Yes there were two very outdated books on barely researching Army service, but beyond that nothing existed. The few people who were starting to lecture on this were not going beyond the basics of “all the records burned and here are some online resources.” They skimmed the surface of what was available. Most still do. A decade ago there were military researchers and genealogy researchers who would pull records for you. A few would also help you understand what you were looking at. And again, I have noticed that no one is paying attention to the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual side of service member’s experiences.

Why are researchers not looking at the entire experience? A holistic approach? Witnessing the changes that take place in the lives of my clients who choose this is amazing. I have observed that both the genealogy and military communities tend to shy away from this because it is too “crazy”, “out there”, “spiritual”, or “woo-woo”. It’s not acceptable to talk about such things or admit we converse with the dead or can heal. But what if it is acceptable and people stopped being so afraid to be who they really are and show this side of themselves with their clients?
Exploring all of these aspects of a service member’s experience has been part of the work I do for many years. It began with research into my own family stories and those who died, and the few who returned changed, from World War I or World War II. Knowing their experiences affected the entire family and trickled down through our DNA, finding answers to questions, disinterring family secrets, and understanding who my military family members were and who I am has been an ongoing journey for me. I’ve done a tremendous amount of writing both in books I’ve published and my own journals in an attempt to sort it all out. We don’t often consider the things that trigger us or upset us are actually not ours. We are just conditioned or have it in our DNA that this is “normal” when in reality, we can find answers, heal and release it. Then we are no longer at the effect of the trigger.

In the last couple of years, the people who ask to work with me on military projects are looking for the basic answers of course. This is why people start research – they have unanswered questions or family stories that do not make sense. Yet these last two years specifically, have brought a new kind of client my way, mixed in with those who just want answers. People are showing up who require not only an understanding of what the combat situation was for their family member, but also the effects of the emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical experiences. Through the writing and teaching I have done, I offer a depth that is not found elsewhere. This calls to some people seeking that, which has caused a shift in which potential clients choose to work with me.

In some cases, the clients do not intend to explore these areas, but through the research process and discussion of what was discovered, different emotions and questions rise. It is my job to help clients understand on the different levels, what the information means and how it affects them today.

I have had clients who have a deep need to understand their father’s (or other family member’s) role in the war. What was his specific mission? Why was he stationed where he was? What affect did he in his one role out of millions, play to help win the war? What caused his alcoholism, PTSD, anger, rage, the physical/emotional/mental abuse he put on his family? Why did he leave his family?

Perhaps the most important questions then rise – Who was my father (or other family member) REALLY? Who am I now that I know this? How does this knowledge and understanding change me?

Using the research skills I have, my empath and medium capabilities, with many other capacities and gifts I have, clients leave the project with answers. Issues cleared and put to rest. A better understanding of who their family member was and who they are. Even clients who are not specifically looking for this and may not be aware it is happening, they too are affected by the project outcome.

Many clients go on to process the information in their own way- creating art, writing a book or memoir, simply journaling for themselves, writing or playing music, and a multitude of other things we use to process and cope with our own things. One client (named with her permission), artist and World War II historian, Erin Faith Allen, has dedicated much of her life to studying and understanding war, trauma, what causes people to choose what they choose. Learn more about Erin, her amazing artwork, and her new book “The In Between”.

Have you been searching for a researcher who can take you beyond names, dates, and places? Would you like to find answers to your family’s questions and explore not only their military experience but other levels? Contact me today to discuss research project options, timelines, costs, and outcomes.

© World War II Research and Writing Center

Filed Under: Genealogy, Italy, Spirituality, The Soul of War, Trauma of War, WWII Education Tagged With: 10th Mountain Division, ABMC, ancestry, burial file, combat, combat fatigue, genealogy, healer, healing, hire a military researcher, IDPF, Italy, Jennifer Holik, military genealogy, NPRC, Po Valley, PTSD, soul, war trauma, WWI, WWI researcher, WWI writer, WWII, WWII Researcher

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