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Jennifer Holik

WWII Writing – Military Memories Writing Prompt Day 3

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Have you taken time to record the stories of your World War II ancestors and families? One way to get started is to use the Military Memories Writing Prompts to jump start your research and writing.  as we explore life on the U.S. home front, women in service, and the lives of all veterans.

These prompts were written with the World War II era in mind, but most can be used for any war. They were originally used in May 2014 and are not grouped by category. Since May 2014 I expanded these 31 prompts into over 500. Are you looking for more writing prompts to help you tell the stories of war from a U.S. or European perspective? See my Stories from the World War II Battlefield Volume 3: Writing the Stories of War, for over 500 writing prompts for U.S. and European writing.

Prompt 3: Community Impact. Describe the impact the community where your family lived had on the war effort. How many men and women did they send off to fight and serve? Did the community have a war plant? Who worked there? Did any of your relatives work in a war plant or support the war effort through their job?

Please share your prompts and responses on your blog and tag them with #militarymemories.

Do you need help learning how to do World War II research or need to hire a researcher to help you? Please feel free to contact me for more details.

© 2016 Jennifer Holik

WWII Education – The Broader View of War

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Meuse Argonne Cemetery in France.
Meuse Argonne Cemetery in France.

We have been in the midst of several anniversaries of World War I and World War II the last couple of years. In 2014, we had the centenary of the start of World War I (the U.S. didn’t get involved until 1917.) In 2015 we had the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. With the centenary of World War I, many courses, trips, memorials, and programs have been developed and are on-going. No matter what aspect of World War I you want to know about, there is probably a book or educational program available to learn about it.

I’m taking a course through FutureLearn called World War 1: A History in 100 Stories. This is a free course through Monash University in Australia. The course intrigued me because of the stories. While the course is focused on the experience of the Australians, the concepts presented are broad enough they can be applied to any country who fought in the war. Many of the themes can also be considered when we look at the history of World War II.

The course is broken into five weeks.

  • Week 1: Monuments and Mourning

  • Week 2: Women and War

  • Week 3: The Other Anzac

  • Week 4: War Wounds

  • Week 5: The Old Lie

So far I have completed the first two weeks. Each week has several videos, many of which are silent, some in which professors are interviewed about topics. There are transcripts of each video and several suggested reading lists. Several hundred people are enrolled in the course and discussion in each step of the module for the week is encouraged.

In week 1, a lot of discussion was held on the mourning of the dead, how we memorialize them through monuments, and how the men who returned home dealt with life after war.

In week 2, the thing that hit me, which I am thinking and writing a lot about, is how women mobilized for war. Women primarily served in voluntary roles, not official military roles during the war. This was true in most countries who were involved in the fighting. It was a time when women were still considered homemakers, teachers, and nurses. Some women, especially in Australia, bought their own passage to the front lines to do what they could to help the war effort. Others supported the troops from the home front by working in factories, knitting socks, preparing care packages, and writing letters.

One woman named Ettie Rout, particularly intrigued me. Ettie worked to create kits to help save men from venereal disease, which was rampant. The military did not want to recognize the extent to which diseases were spread or recognize it as a medical condition. Ettie helped change some views and made a difference. What was unknown, or unrecognized, also at the time, was the long-lasting effects of these diseases, especially syphilis. The men brought the diseases home with them and infected their wives and girlfriends and some of those then spread to their unborn children.

The trauma of war did not end when the men and women left the battlefield. It endured for generations at home in various ways.

If you haven’t taken a course through FutureLearn, I encourage you to check out what they offer. They have so many topics it is mind boggling. If you are taking this course, I’d love to hear what you think of it. Please leave comments below.

© 2016 Jennifer Holik

WWII Writing – Military Memories Writing Prompt Day 2

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Have you taken time to record the stories of your World War II ancestors and families? One way to get started is to use the Military Memories Writing Prompts to jump start your research and writing.  as we explore life on the U.S. home front, women in service, and the lives of all veterans.

These prompts were written with the World War II era in mind, but most can be used for any war. They were originally used in May 2014 and are not grouped by category. Since May 2014 I expanded these 31 prompts into over 500. Are you looking for more writing prompts to help you tell the stories of war from a U.S. or European perspective? See my Stories from the World War II Battlefield Volume 3: Writing the Stories of War, for over 500 writing prompts for U.S. and European writing.

99th Division mass in snowPrompt 2: Overseas Service. Was your ancestor shipped overseas? To which theater(s) of war? When did they leave and when did they return?

Please share your prompts and responses on your blog and tag them with #militarymemories.

Do you need help learning how to do World War II research or need to hire a researcher to help you? Please feel free to contact me for more details.

© 2016 Jennifer Holik

 

WWII Writing – Military Memories Writing Prompt Day 1

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Have you taken time to record the stories of your World War II ancestors and families? One way to get started is to use the Military Memories Writing Prompts to jump start your research and writing.  as we explore life on the U.S. home front, women in service, and the lives of all veterans.

These prompts were written with the World War II era in mind, but most can be used for any war. They were originally used in May 2014 and are not grouped by category. Since May 2014 I expanded these 31 prompts into over 500. Are you looking for more writing prompts to help you tell the stories of war from a U.S. or European perspective? See my Stories from the World War II Battlefield Volume 3: Writing the Stories of War, for over 500 writing prompts for U.S. and European writing.

Holik and Privoznik families 1940s.

Prompt 1: The Home Front. On the home front, describe your family’s experience during the war. Who did they send to war and when? What impact did your family have on the entire war effort?

Please share your prompts and responses on your blog and tag them with #militarymemories.

Do you need help learning how to do World War II research or need to hire a researcher to help you? Please feel free to contact me for more details.

© 2016 Jennifer Holik

WWII Education – Resources to Research Your WWII Soldier’s Service

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Getting the boats. Photo courtesy Tom Scholtes.
Getting the boats. Photo courtesy Tom Scholtes.

In the month of May we honor and remember those who served during World War II. First on V-E Day, 8 May, and next on Memorial Day, 30 May. Have you researched the service of your World War II Soldier, Airman, Sailor, Marine, or Civilian? If not, why? What’s stopping you from learning what your soldier did in the war? The 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis? If that is what is holding you back, you should know there are many resources to reconstruct your soldier’s service history.

No matter what branch of service your family member served in, there are resources to help you learn how to do the research step-by-step and also write the story.

This month start working on your research and writing with three great resources. You will not find books that walk you through the steps of World War II soldier research anywhere else. Pick your copies up today and explore my website for full examples of military documents and files, and additional free resources for research and writing. Feel free to share your favorite website resource in the comments!

Stories from the World War II Battlefield Volume 1: Reconstructing Army, Air Corps, and National Guard Service Records

Stories from the World War II Battlefield Volume 2: Navigating Service Records for the Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Merchant Marines

Stories from the World War II Battlefield Volume 3: Writing the Stories of War

Faces of War: Researching Your Adopted Soldier A book specifically for the ABMC grave adopters in Europe! Your purchase will support the Dutch non-profit organization Stichting Verenigde Adoptanten Amerikaanse Oorlogsgraven (Foundation United Adopters American War Graves).

Cover Vol 1Cover Vol 2Vol3 cover screenshot tempFacesofwar cover lowres

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2016 Jennifer Holik

Stories of the Lost Program 29 April 2016

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StoriesofLostimageOn Friday, 29 April at 2:00 p.m., I will be presenting Stories of the Lost.

A continuation of “Finishing the Story,” we will explore the records available to tell the stories of those who died in service. We will also discuss those who took care of our Soldier Dead, the Graves Registration Service men. Learn about their job and the reasons it took so long to have our soldiers repatriated and what happened to the personal effects during the course of recovery and repatriation.

This is an Indian Trails Library program which will be held at the Buffalo Grove Alcott Senior Center.

Hope to see you there!

© 2016 Jennifer Holik

Book Launch – World War II Writing

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Today I’m happy to announce the launch of two new books to help you with your World War II writing!

Stories from the World War II Battlefield Volume 3: Writing the Stories of War (paperback)

This book contains a short how-to prepare to write the stories and over 500 writing prompts plus a workbook section.

and

Stories from the World War II Battlefield: World War II Writing Prompts (paperback and Kindle)

This book contains over 500 writing prompts.

StoriVol3 cover screenshot tempes from the World War II Battlefield Volume 3: Writing the Stories of War (paperback)

Stories can save us.

Stories have the power to heal.

Stories help us preserve the past and provide hope that history will not repeat itself. For some cultures, storytelling is the primary method for transmitting a family or group’s collective history. For others, writing the stories to share with family or the world, is the method.

When we write, we must ask ourselves, what writing really matters? Consider the words you write as your legacy. Find ways to share your writing to document your life, to remember those who are no longer here, and to honor those who survived a time when the world was collapsing in chaos.

All the tools researchers need to start writing the stories of World War II from a U.S. perspective or overseas theater of war perspective, to honor those who lived in those chaotic years, are included in this volume.

The tools include:

  • Reasons to write the stories of war.
  • Tips to help you organize your thoughts and sources before you write.
  • Writing formulas to help you organize your stories.
  • More than 500 writing prompts covering multiple themes for writers in the U.S. and overseas.
  • Suggestions on how to share your stories on memorial websites and through books.
  • Additional resources for writing the stories of war.

This is the most important reference guide researchers need to begin writing the stories of World War II.

Vol3 WP Cover tempStories from the World War II Battlefield: World War II Writing Prompts (paperback and Kindle)

Stories can save us.

Stories have the power to heal.

Stories help us preserve the past and provide hope that history will not repeat itself. For some cultures, storytelling is the primary method for transmitting a family or group’s collective history. For others, writing the stories to share with family or the world, is the method.

When we write, we must ask ourselves, what writing really matters? Consider the words you write as your legacy. Find ways to share your writing to document your life, to remember those who are no longer here, and to honor those who survived a time when the world was collapsing in chaos.

This important reference guide contains more than 500 writing prompts covering multiple themes for writers in the U.S. and overseas. Explore these prompts as you write your stories of war.

Want to see what some of the prompts look like? Check back here every day in May for Military Memories Writing Prompts. You can write your own on your blog and tag them with #militarymemories.

Do you need help learning how to do World War II research or need to hire a researcher to help you? Please feel free to contact me for more details.

© 2016 Jennifer Holik

Book Launch: Faces of War – Researching Your Adopted Soldier

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Now available!

FacesofWarimagesWould you like to meet the author and get your book signed on 29 May at Margraten, Netherlands? There are two ways to pre-order your book.

  • Support the Foundation United Adopters American War Graves (Stichting Verenigde Adoptanten Amerikaanse Oorlogsgraven.) The foundation will donate all proceeds to its The Faces of Margraten tribute at the Netherlands Cemetery.
    • The foundation offers the opportunity to pre-order the book and have it shipped to you by mid-May.
    • The foundation offers the opportunity to pick-up the book during the May 29 book signing. 

You can pre-order through the foundation until 8 May.

  • Pre-order through the author and pick up your signed copy at my book signing at Hotel Groot Welsden on Sunday 29 May in Margraten, Netherlands. Books are $33.00. Books must be picked up between 11.00-12.00 on Sunday 29 May at the Hotel. You can pre-order through the author until 5 May.

Author Book Signing Details

You can also order the book from the author’s website and have it shipped to your home at any time.

Description:

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) operates and maintains 25 permanent American military cemeteries overseas. In many of the countries in which these cemeteries are located, men and women officially and unofficially, through Adoption Foundation programs, adopt the graves of American service men and women in the ABMC cemeteries.

Researching the service and life of a soldier while living in Europe, has its challenges, primarily because the records they need are located in archives in the United States. There is also the challenge of the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The fire destroyed roughly 80% of the Army, Air Corps/Army Air Forces, and National Guard personnel files. This is not however, the end of the story where researchers are concerned.

All the tools researchers need to start exploring their World War I or World War II soldier, civilian, sailor, or Marine’s service, are included in this volume.

The tools include:

  • The basics of starting research and creating a timeline of service.
  • Resources and strategies for online and offline military research.
  • Resources for obtaining a wide range of information on a soldier’s death and burial.
  • Instructions for ordering and using military records to reconstruct service history for men and women.
  • And, tips for placing the soldier into historical context using higher level records.

Through examples, checklists, and document images, researchers are taught how to locate and analyze records for any branch of the military. This volume focuses more on World War II records, but the process for a World War I soldier and records created, are similar. Once you understand the research process, it can be applied to either war.

© 2016 Jennifer Holik

WWII Education – What Do VA Index Card Codes Mean?

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Abbreviations, codes, numbers, and ……. confusion.

Is this how you feel sometimes when you are looking for World War II information?

Sometimes the most difficult part of starting World War I or World War II research is locating vital pieces of information to move a search forward. This is especially important if the Official Military Personnel File burned. Are you looking for information on a service man or woman’s service number, unit, enlistment and discharge dates? The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO, has a great resource for World War I and World War II researchers. The VA Index.

The VA Index

VA Index card
VA Index card example

The VA Index is available for World War I and World War II service members. What is on the Index and why do you need it?

  • Full name of soldier, sailor, or Marine
  • Unit in which they served (not always on the card.)
  • Address
  • ENL: Date of enlistment
  • DIS: Date of discharge (often if the soldier was KIA, the death date is written on the card.)
  • SN: Service/serial number
  • A lot of letter codes with numbers. World War I cards may have more letters than World War II. There are many more codes than this, but these are the commonly seen ones on these cards.
    • C: Veterans Claim number
    • XC: Prefix X indicates veteran is deceased.
    • K: US Government Life Insurance. Issued when veterans converted their War Risk term (T) insurance into permanent policies or made direct application for this type of insurance.
    • N: National Service Life Insurance. Term insurance issued veterans during WWII.
    • V: National Service Life Insurance. This type of policy was issued when veterans converted their term insurance (N) or made the initial application permanent.
    • I: Permanent or Total Disability Claim or death payment of term insurance (WWI ONLY)
    • A: Adjusted Compensation (Bonus)
    • T: War Risk Insurance (WWI ONLY)
    • R: Rehabilitation (WWI ONLY)
    • CT: WWI Certificate (issued with bonus)
    • Z: Merchant Marine service number prefix.

Request a search

The VA Index is searchable by NPRC staff for a fee of about $5. Just mail a letter to

NPRC

1 Archives Dr.

St. Louis, MO 63138

What other resources have you used to start your World War I or World War II research? Please share in the comments.

© 2016 Jennifer Holik

Faces of War: Researching Your Adopted Soldier

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Next week I am releasing a new book specifically for those living overseas who have adopted a grave officially or unofficially, through an Adoption Foundation at an American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) cemetery. Faces of War: Researching Your Adopted Soldier.

Description:

Facesofwar cover lowresThe American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) operates and maintains 25 permanent American military cemeteries overseas. In many of the countries in which these cemeteries are located, men and women officially and unofficially, through Adoption Foundation programs, adopt the graves of American service men and women in the ABMC cemeteries.

Researching the service and life of a soldier while living in Europe, has its challenges, primarily because the records they need are located in archives in the United States. There is also the challenge of the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The fire destroyed roughly 80% of the Army, Air Corps/Army Air Forces, and National Guard personnel files. This is not however, the end of the story where researchers are concerned.

All the tools researchers need to start exploring their World War I or World War II soldier, civilian, sailor, or Marine’s service, are included in this volume.

The tools include:

  • The basics of starting research and creating a timeline of service.
  • Resources and strategies for online and offline military research.
  • Resources for obtaining a wide range of information on a soldier’s death and burial.
  • Instructions for ordering and using military records to reconstruct service history for men and women.
  • And, tips for placing the soldier into historical context using higher level records.

Through examples, checklists, and document images, researchers are taught how to locate and analyze records for any branch of the military. This volume focuses more on World War II records, but the process for a World War I soldier and records created, are similar. Once you understand the research process, it can be applied to either war.

This book will be available early May. Please subscribe to my newsletter for further details on the release of this and other books.

© 2016 Jennifer Holik