Jennifer Holik

Resources to Help You Write Your Stories of War

January 13, 2017 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

On my Facebook page this week, I posted a comment about writing our stories of war and asked why more people are not writing. Here are some possible reasons I, and others believe causes stories to be lost.

Most people are interested in skimming the basic facts and not digging deeper.
The myth that records do not exist persists. Therefore, there is little to no story to tell if an individual has little information with which to begin.
Research is done online only, almost nothing is discovered, and the researcher stops.
The idea of writing a story is daunting.
People have no idea where to begin writing.

There are many ways to tell a story and resources exist to help you do so. When I teach WWII research and writing programs, I tell everyone,

The most important part of research is the writing.

Why is this the most important part?

The story is saved.
As you write, you’ll see where there are gaps in your knowledge and research. You’ll also see where errors pop up due to transcription errors or errors in the military records.
You will learn more about your family’s life and military service.
Lessons of war, life, healing, and love can be passed through writing and the sharing of story.

Here are some resources to help you start putting your stories on paper. One word. One sentence at a time.

Stories from the WWII Battlefield Volume 3: Writing the Stories of War
Explore the Writing Resources I developed.
Book me to speak in the U.S. or Europe for one or a full day of WWII research and writing programs.
Hire me to write your story or book!

Would you like to learn more about WWII research and writing? Be sure to sign up for my free monthly newsletter.

Learn How To Research Your Adopted Soldier at the CRASH Museum

January 2, 2017 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

International WWII historian, speaker, and author Jennifer Holik, will be presenting Stories of War at the CRASH Air War and Resistance Museum ’40-’45 on Saturday 25 February at 13.00. Her program will be a combination of WWII research and tips on writing the stories. Admission to the museum is € 3,50 per person and that includes the lecture.

During 1944 and 1945, thousands of men and women serving in the U.S. Army, Army Air Forces and Navy, fought to defeat Germany and liberate Europe. Their stories are those of life and death, hope, friendship, love, memories of those left behind, and dreams of the future.

Many questions surround the service history of these men and women. How does one conduct research from Europe? What records are available and how can they be accessed? How can individuals connect with families of the fallen, the sweethearts, or who shared their homes during the war? And finally, how can we preserve their stories? In this engaging and informative presentation, Jennifer shares:

A trip through time, exploring the service history of several Army and Army Air Forces personnel.
Resources to search prior to obtaining military records.
Information on obtaining Official Military Personnel File and the Individual Deceased Personnel File.
How to reconstruct service history.
Resources for the Prisoners, the Missing, and the Dead.
Tips on weaving military, genealogical, family, and historical records together to create a story.
A formula for writing a military story.
Writing prompts to get your writing flowing.

Would you like to learn more about WWII research? Pre-order a copy of Faces of War: Researching Your Adopted Soldier by 20 January 2017, to pick up at the event, from the Foundation United Adopters American War Graves (Stichting Verenigde Adoptanten Amerikaanse Oorlogsgraven.) The foundation will bring pre-ordered books to the event and have a limited number books available that day for sale. The foundation will donate all proceeds to its The Faces of Margraten tribute at the Netherlands Cemetery.

Jennifer will have a limited number of copies of her writing book Stories from the World War II Battlefield Volume 3: Writing the Stories of War.

I Hope You Write

December 9, 2016 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

I am a writer.

I am a historian.

I am a healer.

I am many other things, which I captured in my numerous journals, pieces of blank paper, the back of military records, post it notes, and documents on my computer, especially over the last four years.

Some of us write because we are in transition in our lives and need help sorting our thoughts and feelings. We write for a place to dump problems. We write to keep track of all we are grateful for. We write ideas for future books. We write when our souls scream out, ‘it is time to heal all this negative stuff so you can be lighter and stand in your true power.’ We write in times of grief. Whatever the reason, many of us write and whether or not we ever show this side of ourselves to anyone else is up to us.

My life made a major transition in June 2012. Not only did I move out with my boys to get a divorce, but I was also on a new, uncharted path with my work. No longer was I only doing genealogy work for clients or teaching how to research. I was writing the stories of war and learning how to do that type of research, sometimes tripping down a path I could only see a few steps in front of me, trusting the universe would take care of me.

The universe DID take care of me. I followed the energy of my business and went where it said to go. I set yearly goals, thinking I wanted to accomplish x, y, and z, only to get to the end of the year to find I reached a handful of goals. Not only did I accomplish those seemingly few things, but I wrote out at least a page or two of things I never expected to learn, do, or create. By 2015 I made shorter goal lists and trusted I’d be where I needed to be with work and let the universe help carve the path I was walking.

My journals are stacked high now and contain happy and sad things, a lot of channeled writing, and many pages of discovery about who I really am, what I want, and where I’m going. My soul kept asking the question this year, when are you going to write YOUR story to share? My response was, ‘what do I really have to say about all that?’ My friend Ginny, who I wrote about in my book The Tiger’s Widow, has said numerous times the last few years, ‘I’m watching you grow, transform, and write your story which needs to be told, but I don’t know the end.’ Ginny and I spent time together for the first time, before my major transition in 2012. She has been a guiding light and inspiration.

Do you know the love story of Ginny and Robert Brouk, my Flying Tiger? Robert Brouk was fighting the Japanese prior to Pearl Harbor, with the American Volunteer Group, the Flying Tigers, in China during 1941-1942. Robert returned to Chicago in July 1942 and met Ginny a month later. Late November they married and went to Orlando, FL, where Robert was stationed and training pilots. On December 19, 1942, Ginny watched Robert die in a plane crash when the squadron was returning from Kissimmee to Orlando. She was a widow at 20 after three weeks of marriage. That was just the beginning of their story. You can read Robert’s story in Stories of the Lost and Ginny’s in The Tiger’s Widow.

Robert and Ginny’s story provided light in the darkness and hope when I thought no good future was in store. Tragedy and loss come to us to help us grow stronger and though it may take decades to understand why something happened, sometimes we get answers. With those answers come great healing for all involved. That was what happened for Ginny and I in 2012 and continues today. After Ginny lost her second husband just before we connected in 2005, she began hand writing her life’s story. She did this to heal and not fall into a depression from which she would never recover. We have that in common. We write to save ourselves and heal. She probably didn’t realize when she started writing that some of those pages would help a woman struggling through a major transition, or bring love and hope to the world.

Last night the words demanded I start writing to share my story. Will this story ever see the light of day? Will anyone beside me ever read it? Maybe not. Sometimes no one else needs to read it. The process of writing our story is often more important. It brings insight, growth, healing, and love. I have a feeling that whatever all this soul writing turns out to be, will somehow contribute to the world. I feel there are pieces that will see the light of day and be used in new projects. My pain, joy, struggle, healing, and love will somehow help someone else. We are all connected you know. We may endure our own darkness, struggles, and pain, but none of us is ever really alone.

There is a song called, I Hope You Dance, about a wish that we all dance and enjoy our life. My wish to you is I Hope You Write. Tell your stories even if you are the only one to read them in this life. When you do, your world will shift in amazing ways.

War, Love, and Healing

December 1, 2016 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

bob-in-uniform-holding-book — Robert Brouk

I’m often asked when I teach, why did I start researching and writing about World War II? My business began 6 1/2 years ago in genealogy. That was my dream and focus. About 20 years ago I started researching my family’s history and my uncle told me about a cousin, Robert Brouk, who was one of the original AVG Flying Tigers. At the time, that meant nothing to me because I didn’t know about the Flying Tigers or much about WWII. Then I started researching……..

Robert flew in the 3rd Squadron with the Flying Tigers and when they were disbanded in July 1942, he returned to Chicago. A month later he met Ginny Scharer and the two fell in love. Robert was ordered to report to Orlando, FL to train pilots in October 1942 and not wanting to be apart from Ginny, he proposed. The two were married late November 1942.

Three weeks later, Ginny watched Robert die in a plane crash in Orlando while training pilots. At 20 years old, she was a widow. No one in the family knew what happened to her after that. Robert’s parents and brother were dead and the story, it seemed, died too. My uncle, in 1996, was retiring from work and decided to investigate Robert’s life. He spent hours searching through old microfilm newspapers in Cicero and Berwyn, IL looking for stories on Robert. He came up with stacks of papers. Robert was Cicero’s Home Town Hero because he had fought the Japanese around the time of Pearl Harbor. His story and appearances in the Chicagoland area were written up in newspapers across Cook County, for months!

For my part, I started investigating the Flying Tigers. I contacted their reunion association and posted a message in 1996 on the Flying Tiger message boards. Nine years later in December 2005, Robert’s widow’s grandson saw my post. Ginny was still alive and had Robert’s AVG war diary, photos of his service, and some things he brought back from Asia.

Ginny and I exchanged many hand written letters and she sent me his war diary. She had also lost her second husband and had been hand writing giant volumes of her family’s history. To this written history she added photos, documents, newspaper clippings, and other items. She sent me copies of the pages that told the love story of her and Bob.

Ginny being inducted into the WAAC. Photo courtesy of Ginny Davis and used in “The Tiger’s Widow”

I sat on Robert’s war diary until 2010 when I started my business and decided, as a bucket list thing, I’d write a book. Robert died so soon after the Tigers were disbanded that he’s barely mentioned in any other books. His memory had to be preserved.

Once I wrote his story, all my other relatives who died in WWI and WWII showed up and said, ‘if you write his story you have to write ours.’ That began the start of my writing career and also my journey into the world of WWII research.

So what happened to Ginny after Robert’s death? A few months later, the minute she turned 21, she joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, which later in 1943 became the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). She ended up overseas in Egypt where she met her second husband Harvey. What a story they have! Harvey had a brother, Fred, who was a co-pilot on a bomber that went down 2 November 1943 in Austria. He now rests in Lorraine Cemetery.

When I wrote Ginny’s story, The Tiger’s Widow, it was meant to be a biography. However, after my editor went through it and returned it, I let the book sit for several months while I finished writing Stories of the Lost. When I returned to Ginny’s book, it took me four days, a box of tissues, and allowing my heart and soul to crack open, heal, and pour love out into the book. I cried most of those four days I edited and rewrote her story. The book didn’t want to be a biography, but a love story, and Fred and I were to be added as characters.

You never know, when you start a new project, book, or genealogy search, exactly where it will lead. I have learned with each new WWII project I start, book I begin to research, program I write, or client I speak with about their family member’s service, there are always lessons to learn. There is often a tremendous amount of love for the soldier. And there are many unanswered questions that the research or project help to answer, which brings immense healing to the client, myself, and all those living or dead attached to what I’m working on.

We are all connected in this universe through love.

I’d like to share with you some of that connection with the first chapter of Ginny’s story.

Five Hearts Joined Together

Love knows no boundaries of time and space or life and death. It exists forever in our hearts as we remember and honor those who have gone before us. Through those memories we pass life lessons on to the next generation. We teach others there is light after darkness, hope after despair, and love is the glue that puts shattered hearts back together. This is a story of five hearts separated by time and space; hearts which would meet in the perfect moment. It is a story about never ending love that lived on even after death.

A famous pilot met a young beauty and the two fell in love, Robert and Ginny. Their love soared with the eagles. Their time together was brief but they lived so fully in love in the moment, it is as if nothing but death could have broken them apart. Then death knocked on their door and a plane fell from the sky in a fiery ball. One heart silenced on earth but lived forever in death. One heart shattered into a million pieces.

A year later on another continent, two brothers fought a war, Harvey and Fred. The boys grew up as orphans and wanted a heart to come home to. Fred flew a bombing mission over Austria and was lost, listed as missing for a year. Harvey feared the worst and waited for word which came a year after Fred went missing. A brother’s love lived on after death.

Less than a year after Fred went missing, Ginny found Harvey. A chance meeting and two hearts became one. Pieces of Ginny’s shattered heart started to glue back together, slowly at first and then more quickly. Harvey’s heart had finally found its home with Ginny. He was no longer an orphan or alone. They found each other during a time of war when the world around them collapsed in chaos. Together they created a new world filled with joy, love, and the memories of those lost before their time.

Almost 65 years later, another heart emerged. A young woman trying to start a new life after her heart was shattered. She and Ginny, now a widow for the second time, connected. Little did they know the impact that meeting would have.

Five hearts separated by time and space that met in perfect time, would change the lives of all they touched. Their love would span decades. Their life lessons would provide hope to others in the future.

Five hearts joined forever.

Have you worked on a project or written something that helped change or heal you or those involved? Our readers would love to hear your stories of War, Love, and Healing.

You can read Bob’s story in Stories of the Lost. You can read Ginny’s story in The Tiger’s Widow.

When and Why Do I Need to Hire a WWII Researcher?

November 30, 2016 by Jennifer Holik 7 Comments

There are a lot of people who contact me about helping them find information on their WWII Soldier, Airman, Sailor, or Marine. Most are children of those who died during the war and veterans who are now deceased. I hear all kinds of stories that were passed down through the family, often which contain very little truth today when you look at the military records, and records and photographs the family has, and piece together the service puzzle. It is kind of like the telephone game where someone tells a story and by the time it gets to the 10th person it is nothing resembling the original.

I also speak to a lot of children of soldiers and grave adopters in various Facebook groups. There is so much misinformation floating around it makes my heart and head hurt. There is the belief that everything is digitized online and free. Another belief is ALL the records ever created for WWII burned in the NPRC fire in 1973 and nothing is left. I’m sorry to tell you that’s just not true. These beliefs are more prevalent it seems in European countries where researchers are looking online at old and outdated information, and not checking to see what the true facts are about records access and cost today. It doesn’t help when well-meaning people try to help researchers and never look at anything offline and insist it is all online. You can find some information online. It is rare to find everything online.

What You Need To Know

The 1973 Fire: The Fire in 1973 at the NPRC destroyed approximately 80% of the Army, Air Corps/Army Air Forces, National Guard Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs), also known as the service files. The Civilian, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Navy, and Merchant Marine OMPFs are intact. These records are necessary to your research and do not exist online. There are no plans to digitize these records. Learn more about these files and IDPFs.

Records Access: If a soldier died or was discharged by today’s date 62 years ago (so as of the day of this original post – 30 November 1954), ANYONE can access those OMPFs. If the soldier died or was discharged after today’s date 62 years ago, then you still have to be the veteran or next of kin to receive access. Next of kin is defined as the spouse, parents, siblings or children of the veteran. If you are a niece, nephew, grandchild, or otherwise related or unrelated, you will likely not gain access to the files or you will receive information that is heavily redacted.

NPRC has other records which they will not search for you to help you reconstruct Army, Air Corps, National Guard service if you send in Form 180 requesting a copy of a file.

What Will NPRC charge you for Form 180 requests? When NPRC sends you a letter that says, ‘We have information and it will cost you $20-$25 to receive.’ This usually means they found a final payroll record, usually a Hospital Admissions Index and maybe letters sent in by someone else requesting information. You may spend $20 on one to a few pieces of paper that may not be much help. I just helped a client in France and my researcher got the copies of what was in the OMPF (4 pages) plus Morning Reports. NPRC sent him a letter saying for $25 we’ll send you the papers. We already had them.

When NPRC sends you a letter that says, ‘We have information and it will cost you $70 to receive.’ This usually means there is a full or burned file. The number of pages you will get varies and they will not tell you what’s in the file or how many pages for the $70.

Reconstructing Service: Reconstructing Army, Air Corps, and National Guard service require additional records to piece together service history. You need a researcher to help with this OR you can visit NPRC yourself to do the work. Form 180 is not going to go deeper into the research to give you answers.

The IDPF (Death file): These are are required files for researchers and grave adopters. I’ve already written extensively about the records access and how it is changing. You can learn more here. Be sure to read the first article linked in this post so you have the full story. It is also important to understand that the IDPF lists the FINAL unit in which a soldier served. This was often not the only unit. When researchers and grave adopters assume this was it for a soldier they often spend a lot of time and money chasing records that do not apply to the experience their soldier had in the war. Doing the homework to put together a timeline of service is necessary so you know what unit(s) a soldier was in.

Where are the Records? In the U.S., military records are held in repositories all across our large country. Main records are held in our National Archives facilities, and the rest are scattered around. Records access here is generally not free. Researchers pay for copies in most repositories unless scanning is allowed. Even then there may be a usage fee to scan or photograph materials. In many cases you will pay for copies on top of a researcher’s fees if you are unable to travel to do your own research.

In Europe, many countries have digitized their archives and often (but not always,) offer the information to the public for free. The countries are smaller than the U.S., records are held in fewer locations, and many people will do their own research rather than hire a researcher. This is where there is a cultural difference between American and European researchers. In Europe, where access is more free and available, and many feel they owe a debt to our soldiers, the idea of paying for research is wrong to them. I understand this, but the reality of access and what information you need to tell a story, requires research in offline records.

What does it cost? Each researcher has their own fees for research. In general, you will also pay copy costs when records are not allowed to be scanned on-site. Usage fees or scanning fees in repositories. Travel costs for researchers visiting repositories. If you hire someone to be on-site for a day or more then lodging and meals are usually included in the fees.

Legitimate professional researchers should be providing you with a full report on what was discovered and not discovered. The report should contain at least the following:

Source citations for every fact they list so you know exactly where the information came from.
A bibliography of sources used.
A timeline or summary of service explaining what was discovered and what unit(s), battles, campaigns, etc. a soldier participated in.
Copies of all materials discovered in digital or paper format.
Suggested resources for next steps to learn more if you choose.

How Long Does it Take For a Researcher to Do a Job? This varies based on how long it takes to gain access to the records. With NPRC records, my team and I can put an initial report together often within a month. When we look at unit level records it can take up to 3 months to gather the information, analyze it and prepare a report. Because of the time it takes, project costs can be spread out over several months. This is how I work with clients. Not all researchers do this.

In General, What is Online?

This description is by no means complete but will give you an idea of what is and is not available. Regardless of whether you obtain information from a family member, online or offline, verify it against other records. Family stories get changed, military records contain errors. Verify, verify, verify.

When you find a repository that has information but it is not online, talk to a researcher about access, send a letter to the repository requesting a search, or see if they offer a researcher’s list so you can get help if you cannot visit in person. Many records and photographs are available offline in repositories across the U.S.

Free databases on Ancestry, NARA, Fold3.com are often the same. You’ll find the Army Enlistment Database which is incomplete and does not contain everyone who ever served. Casualty lists for branches or states are found online. FindAGrave has information but be careful to note who put the information online and verify its accuracy. Also pay attention to where someone is or is not buried. Just because someone has an entry does not mean he is buried somewhere. There are still many Missing In Action from WWI to Vietnam who have FindAGrave entries that make those who are not paying close attention, believe they are buried and identified.

Newspapers. There are several newspaper websites offering free and subscription based access. Researchers can often find pieces of the puzzle (not always accurate in news articles) and photographs.

Photographs. Everyone wants a photo of their soldier. Sometimes you will find these online. Sometimes they are in the OMPF and IDPF (Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine files.) Educational institutions, military institutions, archives, libraries, genealogical and historical societies may have offline collections which require a researcher to contact them for information.

Army, Air Corps/Army Air Forces company-level and unit-level records, and sometimes IDPFs, are typically not available online unless a Division or Bomb Group has digitized them and placed them online. You will not find OMPFs online. If you would like to see examples of what is online, you can look at the 7th Armored Division, 80th Infantry Division, and 100th Bomb Group, as examples. Fold3.com also has some donated collections for Army and Air Corps/Air Forces, but the collection is tiny.

Navy Unit Records can be found in collections on Fold3.com. These digitized records are not everything that exist.

Marine Corps Unit Records can be found within Naval collections on Fold3.com. These digitized records are not everything that exist.

Coast Guard Unit Records may be found within Naval collections on Fold3.com. These digitized records are not everything that exist.

So when do you need to hire someone and when do you not?

If you are thinking about hiring a researcher, please do not send in Form 180 before you do so. When you do this, we cannot gain access to the file until NPRC processes your request and you choose to go with it or decline it. On average it takes 6-9 months for NPRC to do anything about a request due to the high number they receive. If you send in a request and we want to access the file, it will require more work on your part to cancel the request, then wait for NPRC to put it back into the system for use, which based on experience has taken 1-2 months before we can access it.

You do not know how, or do not wish, to do the research on your own. This is a case where researchers can be extremely helpful. We know our way around the records access and archives. We understand how to decipher all the military lingo and abbreviations and piece together service history.

You have done research but are stuck and need an expert’s assistance. Many people prefer to do research on their own to a certain point. When they become stuck or need information faster than waiting for a government agency to provide it, we can help.

Army or Air Corps/Air Forces: If you are researching Army or Air Corps/Air Forces, it is better to work with a researcher to pull information, especially if you live in Europe. We have people on-site at archives and know within a day or two of requesting information, what is available. At NPRC we are able to pull the OMPF (whatever may exist) plus Company Morning Reports, Air Force Award Cards, IDPFs that they have available, Payroll, Monthly Reports, and other records that Form 180 will not pull for you. With this information we can put together a timeline of service explaining your soldier’s basic story. What unit(s) was he in, where did he train, when did he go overseas, what happened there? What are details of his death or return home after the war? Once we know this, we can consult unit records to fill in more details and give a broader explanation of his service through unit records and historical context.

Did you know even if the OMPF burned, we can successful reconstruct service history for your soldier or airman? We do it every single day.

Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, or Marine Corps: If you are researching Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, or Marine Corps, sending in Form 180 will get you a copy of the OMPF within 6-9 months. If you are the next of kin you can also get copies of the Medical Records attached to the OMPFs. Then you have the choice to work with a researcher for unit level records and context or find this on your own.

Where Do I Go From Here?

If you live in the U.S. and would like to do research on your own, visit my book page and pick up a copy of the only WWII research books, Stories from the World War II Battlefield, on the market to help you research. Volume 1 is over 300 pages and covers Army, Air Corps, National Guard. Volume 2 is over 400 pages and covers Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Merchant Marines. Volume 3 talks about organizing materials and writing the story.

If you live in Europe, the book Faces of War: Researching Your Adopted Soldier covers all branches in over 300 pages.

Start researching online. Read the education articles on my website. Explore the Research section which contains a vast number of resources.

Hire a researcher to help you piece together your soldier’s service.

Attend a WWII program in the U.S. or Europe. I am scheduling programs through early 2018. Please contact me for fees and scheduling availability. I’m currently teaching 7 different WWII programs.

Do you have questions? Please feel free to leave them in the comments.

Would you Like to Share Your Story of War?

November 29, 2016 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Throughout the last five years I have focused my life and work on learning how to research and write the stories of World War II, so I could provide education to others who wish to do the same, my work has taken the road never traveled. I created the only books on the market to teach the basics of research, even when the records burned. I’m teaching programs (seven in total now) in the U.S. and Europe to help people learn where the information can be found and how to analyze it and write about it. I help clients learn the stories of their family members and answer questions which bring healing and closure.

In August of this year I launched a program, Honoring World War II Service Together, to help bridge the gap between American and European researchers to help preserve more stories of war before they are forgotten. Expanded information about this program will be featured in two national publications in the spring of 2017. I am also bringing the spiritual and healing side of life and war together with this research and education. If you have followed me the last year, you know this is an important part of who I am and what I contribute to the world.

Untold stories.

Silenced voices.

Missing family lines.

Individuals, families, and communities devastated.

Mourning.

Experiences and lessons not shared.

A loss of connection.

Pain and a lack of resolution and healing.

As the focus of the work I do is now shifting due to the changing culture surrounding WWII research in the U.S. and Europe, I’m changing course and creating another road never traveled. Part of the mission of this work is to help others tell their stories of war. Whether you are a family member, grave adopter, tour guide, researcher, or anyone else interested in the stories of war, I invite you to tell your stories.

For a limited time, I am taking guest post submission for the World War II Research and Writing Center. To have your story considered for publication on the website, it must contain the following:

The story of your soldier you wish to share written in English.
Details about his service and life. Please add a section at the end of the story telling our readers what sources you used to tell the story (IDPF, OMPF, newspaper articles, family members, letters, Morning Reports, Mission Reports, War Diaries, photos, etc.)
Why are you interested in this soldier’s story? Are you a family member, grave adopter, re-enactor, etc.? Please explain why sharing this story is important to you.
How did the research you did, and writing of the story, affect you or change your life? How did it change your view of the war?
If you are a grave adopter, were you able to connect with this soldier’s family? How did that experience help you and the family learn about the soldier, the war, and answer questions that may have been buried for years?
What questions do you still have or what information are you seeking?
How can people contact you if they would like to learn more or share information with you? Please include your email, website, or Facebook page if you have one so people can contact you directly.

Submissions can be emailed to info@wwiirwc.com with the subject STORIES OF WAR SUBMISSION by 4 December 2016 – please put the story in the body of the email. No attachments.

When the Dead Speak – An Unknown Soldier at Margraten

November 25, 2016 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

If you have followed my writing on my website, Facebook, or in magazines for at least a year, you know I’m a spiritual person. I feel and sense the dead, walk through a cemetery and hear their cries, feel their anger, sadness, and loneliness, and hear their stories. They communicate through me so I can give them a voice. I often help cross them over into the light. Through the work I do and places I go, I heal them, others, and myself in the process.

Some of my experiences in Europe can be found in last year’s trip articles Traveling In Their Footsteps. Since that time I’ve focused more on WWII education and things in life, than the spiritual side of my work. Recent events have pushed me to take a look at this side of work with fresh eyes and an open heart. The dead have so much to teach us if we allow it.

For almost two months, there is a story that wants to be told, which I have debated telling. I can’t hold it back any longer.

On 30 September 2016, I visited Margraten Cemetery. My fiancé adopted two graves there which we were visiting, and also the grave a friend asked I visit. This grave was for Sgt. Fernando Rangel, 776th Bomber Squadron, 464th Bomb Group (Heavy). He was KIA on 11 December 1944 and buried at Plot P Row 22 Grave 13. This is the last row of the cemetery on the right side if you are standing in front of the chapel looking at the graves.

Next to Rangel’s grave at Plot P Row 22 Grave 14 was an Unknown Soldier. My fiancé touched his grave and quickly removed his hand and commented on the energy. I touched his grave and felt extreme sadness, anger, and loneliness. It felt like this soldier had a story that must be told. I stood at the grave with my hand on it for a long time sending him healing and listening to him. After a short time the energy shifted but not enough to make him happy.

Who was possibly in this grave? I had to see what the records said. I went into the office at Margraten and asked for the X-File number of this grave.

Did you know, for every single soldier, sailor, or Marine who was Killed In Action or died during the war, there is an IDPF – Individual Deceased Personnel File. The IDPF lists the name, unit, serial number/service number, and death information for that individual. This file exists even for those who are still considered Missing In Action today.

For the Unknown soldiers who are buried in graves marked Unknown – there is an X-File. An X-File contains the same paperwork in most cases, as the IDPF, except it does not have the soldier’s name, unit, serial number/service number. That was unknown to Graves Registration Service at the time identifications were being made. You can view IDPFs and other records under RESEARCH on this website. There are file examples. Under EDUCATION you will find articles about these records. Under BOOKS you can order a copy of one of my WWII research books to learn even more about IDPFs and death records.

AMBC cemeteries seem hesitant to give out X-file numbers, at least that was the response I got. I was questioned as to why I wanted this information, even though the office staff knew who I was and what I do. Perhaps this is because most people do not understand the records created for Unknowns and it would stir up a lot of discussion and issue with ABMC, DPAA, and other organizations doing MIA research. There was no education about Graves Registration and identification after the war and almost none exists still today to the general public.

I was able to get the X-File number for this Unknown and I did obtain his X-File. I’m still waiting for Ft. Knox to open up their servers so IDPFs can go out again (it’s been down 2 months,) so I can see the IDPF for the soldier that might be in this grave. The X-File pointed much evidence to a man named John W. Gordon. Gordon is listed on the Wall of the Missing at Epinal.

The X-File had information on the death, identification that was attempted, burial, and information from the next of kin, which stated unless a positive identification could be made, the widow and John’s mother, did not want to hear from the military again. Reading this made me understand why John W. Gordon felt so angry and sad. Maybe he could have been identified then, or maybe not. The technology we have today with DNA, did not exist back then. Based on dental records in his file, a positive identification could not be made at that time. Today, maybe one could be made if a case was strong enough for DPAA to disinter the remains and test.

John W. Gordon was KIA 17 Jan 1945. He was part of G Company 157^th Infantry Regiment 45^th Division. His last residence in the U.S. was Winnetka, IL. I live about 30 minutes away from Winnetka. John received posthumously, a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and CIB. I felt the close connection I have to where he lived was one reason he reached out that day.

I did some research on John W. Gordon and found a FindAGrave entry with his photo. He was a very handsome young man. I also contacted the photo contributor and have learned a lot about John, his life, and the research the family today has done into his service. His family has been in touch with DPAA and submitted DNA.When I emailed the contributor, John’s spirit was with me, guiding me as to what to write, and encouraging me to not let his story die.

I pulled some of his Morning Reports to learn a little about G Company and where he was KIA. I know he was sick a lot in the field hospitals between October and December 1944. According to Morning Reports, the day John and several men in his company went Missing, they were located near Phalsbourg, France. I’m still waiting on his IDPF to see what other information it contains. His OMPF (service file) burned in 1973.

There is still much to learn about John, his life, service, and death. There are lessons to pass along and healing to be done. Once his story is told, maybe he will be at peace. Maybe he knows he can be identified and wants DPAA to look at his case again. Maybe he wants us all to remember those who died during the war, and those who have died since, and know they ALL have stories to tell. It is up to us, the living, to give them a voice so their sacrifice will not be forgotten. The sacrifice of death in war or the sacrifice of leaving their lives to go fight and return.

Are you telling the stories of the dead? Are you passing their lessons on to the next generation? Do you walk into the cemetery and feel their pain, hear their voices, and want to help? Not everyone can sense this, but we can all do the research and write the stories so these men and women will not be forgotten.

Read John’s X-File

Read John’s IDPF

UPDATE 31 January 2024

John W. Gordon was identified on 13 July 2022. You can read about it on DPAA’s press release. I’m so excited! I hope his spirit has chosen to pass to the next level on his journey now that he has been freed from his Unknown status. He was buried on 23 October 2023 at Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee, WI. His obituary and video of his funeral can be found at the Harder Funeral Home website.

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Clarification from NPRC on IDPF Availability

November 21, 2016 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

I received the following from an archivist at NPRC regarding my prior post about the IDPF availability change. I also understand the servers at Ft. Knox which hold the IDPFs are still down. It’s been about two months and we are still waiting to find out when these files will be available again.

The National Archives-St. Louis is in the process of receiving large portions of the Individual Deceased Personnel Files (IDPF) created by the U.S. Army to document deaths in service that occurred during the period 1939-1976. Eventually the National Archives-St. Louis will hold all of the records. By early February 2017, it will have received approximately half of the records that cover the period ca. 1939-1954. These records were maintained by the Army in an alphabetical arrangement, and selected files in this group are being digitized by the Defense Prisoner-of-War/Missing-in-Action Accounting Agency (DPAA). DPAA has completed their digitization of the A-L portion of the alphabet, and these records along with the post-Korean War files (1954-1976), which are NOT being digitized, are currently being shipped to St. Louis from the Washington National Records Center (WNRC) in Suitland, Maryland. To date (November 18, 2016), the National Archives-St. Louis has received five (5) of eight (8) tractor trailer shipments; the 8^th and final load is due to be received the first week of February 2017. The remainder of the 1939-1954 alphabetical group will be received as DPAA completes its digitization project over the next few years.

It should be noted that the Army’s Graves Registration Service had responsibility for dealing with the remains of deceased personnel from all branches of the military until well into the 1950s or early 1960s. As a result, records for deceased members of the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and independent Air Force may be included among the earlier files. Furthermore, it must be emphasized that DPAA’s digitizing effort has been conducted for its own business purposes and does not involve comprehensive scanning of these records. Only selected files, and in many cases only portions of selected files, have been scanned. The only complete instance of this records series exists in the original paper files that have been transferred to the National Archives.

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WWII Education – Searching University Archival Collections

November 9, 2016 by Jennifer Holik 2 Comments

universitycollimage — The Famous Four: L-R Jim Smith 47th Tk Bn, Elton Ross 48th Tk Bn, Phil Snoberger 68th A.I.B. and Ken Baugh 68th A.I.B. Photo courtesy Mikel Shilling.

I have been talking about and sharing a lot of resources on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter the last week that encourage WWII researchers to think outside the box for research. Move beyond the usual sites to help you dig deep and find resources you didn’t know existed (mostly because no one every told you to look!)

Let’s explore what may be available in university archive special collection using an example from the University at Illinois – Urbana-Champaign Student Life and Cultural Archives

Letters, V-mail, cards, and postcards
Photographs of men who attended the university prior to, during, or after the war.
Schoolwork and grades
Memoirs written after the war about their experiences.
Notes from books a service member wrote about the war.
Military documents
Programs from events
Film footage
Sound bytes
Photo albums
Newspapers
Maps
Diaries
Fraternity and other clubs and social group records and photos
Publications from university and groups
Military training and program information. Many universities trained service personnel on campuses across the country and have records in their archives.

What can you learn about a soldier’s life from these items?

Vital statistics – birth, marriage, and death data.
Family information – parents, siblings, spouses, children. This may lead you to finding living family members.
If a family member donated records the soldier recorded and shipped home, you might get to hear your soldier’s voice. One client I worked with last year sent me recordings of his dad’s records. His dad died during the war. It was incredibly emotional to sit and look at his photographs and listen to his voice all these years later.
Information about their life prior to the war, while they attended school, and after the war.
Read original and possibly unpublished manuscripts about their wartime experience.
Find photographs to put a face with a name.
Put your soldier into historical context by understanding what his life was like at the university or town where he lived. Soldiers are more than a photograph and short summary of their service. They had a life before (but not always after) the war.

What exciting things have you discovered using University Archival Collections? Please share with us in the comments.

Learn more about how I can help you research your WWII soldier, sailor, or Marine through my research services.

Finding U.S. WWII Records & Photos – Are They Where You Think They Are?

November 7, 2016 by Jennifer Holik 4 Comments

I observe a lot of WWII conversations on Facebook, mostly in groups where people are asking for information on American WWII soldiers, sailors, and Marines. I observe several people replying with the same old free database links that everyone knows about, that will help you start your research but not take you deep enough into what you really want to know. How do we move from the same old links to something new and helpful?

First, understand that in America, unlike some countries in Europe, our WWII records are not in one archive within a state or the country. They are scattered throughout our National Archives branches across the country, Library of Congress, University library special collections, State libraries/archives/historical societies, local libraries/archives/historical societies, genealogical societies, WWII reunion groups or associations, Presidential Libraries, and many other locations.

Related to this is that the Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) or service files are not digitized and online. This is one file you do want to help you piece together your soldier’s story. The Individual Deceased Personnel Files (IDPF) or death files are not online. Read more about records and access.

Second, most of our records are not digitized. Many archives, libraries, and organizations are working toward this end, but we are far from accomplishing this.

To really dig into the history of your soldier’s life, whether he is a family member or someone whose grave you adopted in Europe at an ABMC cemetery, you must dig into paper records at the various repositories. How can you do this if you live far away?

Hire a researcher who lives in that locale to visit the archive and research for you. If the researcher has a website (recommended), then see if people have endorsed their research skills. Review the website to make sure they know what they are talking about and have the kind of research experience you are looking for.

Often, repositories have researcher for hire lists on their websites. Beware! Most repositories do not vet the people who want to be on those lists so you take your chances when hiring those people. Contacting genealogical societies is often a good idea because the board members can refer you to the researcher in their group they know can do the work you need.

Search the finding aids and collection guides to discover all the available resources.
Explore the access to records section of the archive’s website.
- Can you visit in person, hire a researcher, send an email or letter asking for research to be conducted?
- What are the fees associated with this?
- How long does it usually take to receive a response?
Look in unexpected places! Contact the smaller museums, repositories, libraries, organizations that have almost nothing on their website. These repositories often have records that are not listed online or not digitized, but available. Smaller repositories often do not have the funding to accomplish what larger facilities can. A couple of years ago I volunteered at a local Italian American Veterans Museum. They had no funds and almost nothing on the website. But in the closet – boxes of Chicago related Italian American WWII files, photographs, documents, uniforms, and more. Sometimes you have to inquire. You might be surprised what you find.

Finally, for the more experienced researcher who has a better idea of what specific information they seek, talk to other researchers to find out where the really good stuff is hiding.

To help you start your journey into unexpected repositories, please visit my State Specific WWII Resource pages. If you know of a repository that should be on this list (which is a work in progress and will never be complete), feel free to comment and share the link.

Learn more about how I can help you research your WWII soldier, sailor, or Marine through my research services.

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