Explore our most popular getting started research articles on the NPRC 1973 Fire, obtaining the OMPF (service file), and IDPF (Individual Deceased Personnel File).
Jennifer has more than a decade and a half studying all military branches for WWI and WWII. Through her research and European travels, she understands the complexity and confusion around military research for WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, especially when all the records burned.…..This statement is actually inaccurate and much more exists than what the public realizes.
To help clear up some confusion and answer her most commonly received questions, Jennifer has written several articles to help researchers. Please use the search on our site to look for additional articles. Jennifer has published hundreds of research articles.
Locating Information & Getting Started
- Top 5 Mistakes in WWI & WWII Research
- Discover Your Veteran’s WWII Unit(s)
- Is Access to the WWII Individual Deceased Personnel Files (IDPFs) Getting Easier & Faster?
- Research Tip! The Missing and the Dead
- Reconstructing WWII Veteran History
- You Are Not Alone- Helping Clients Process Research Findings
- Exploring the Mentally Destructive Side of War
- Do Genealogy & Military Researchers Need Therapy?
- How to Accurately Reconstruct Military Service History
- What is Your WWII Story?
- Why World War II Research Isn’t Free
- What Do VA Index Card Codes Mean?
- Research Tip! Where Can I Find a Service/Serial Number?
- Difference Between the OMPF and IDPF
- Coast Guard OMPFs and IDPFs
- Why Isn’t My Naval Family Member on the Muster Rolls?
- Uncovering a Sailor’s Story in a Navy File
- Civilian Individual Deceased Personnel Files (IDPFs)
- U.S. Hospital Admission Index Cards (What exists online & what doesn’t)
- Air Force Award Cards Online
- Women in WWII, Sex, Rights, Jobs, Discrimination, Abuse
- Tips for Starting Your WWII Research
- The Research Process Do’s and Dont’s
- What Do These Codes Mean in the Army Reports?
- Codes as Locations in Army Reports
- Company Morning Reports
- Honoring Our Soldiers Overseas
- Now Available Online! Air Force Award Cards, 1942-1963
- Troop Carrier Squadron Records
- Book Review: Salt to the Sea
- Tarawa and a Study of Graves Registration Service During WWII
- Where Can You Find WWII Education?
- Indiana WWII Solider, Sailor, and Marines Resources
- Searching University Archival Collections
Hiring a Researcher
- Word of Caution: Hiring a Military Researcher
- When and Why Do I Need to Hire a WWII Researcher?
- When NOT to Hire a Genealogy or Military Record Retriever
Photograph and Newspaper Resources
- Finding U.S. WWII Records and Photos: Are They Where You Think They Are?
- 36th Infantry Division Reports and Photographs
- Missouri History Museum Photographs
- Identifying those Unidentified Photos
- National Archives Blog Articles
The Bigger Picture
Jennifer’s Articles on Other Sites
Are you looking for additional resources for World War II? There are many places online you can find my World War II and genealogy articles and blog posts. Each article offers another resource to help you tell your story of war.
Tribute Pages
Tribute Pages are pages on websites which honor WWII service personnel. My clients have given me permission to write text for these, or these are stories of men I have researched who were Killed In Action.
T/5 John Long, I Company 394th Infantry Regiment 99th Infantry Division
Ancestry.com Blogs
Read articles I wrote for Ancestry that explain more research strategies and tips.
- Fire and Devastation! Reconstructing World War II Service (September 2015)
- Building a WWII Timeline of Service (October 2015)
- Conflicting Information and Your WWII Timeline of Service (November 2015)
- WWII Marine Robert E. Bishop – Case Study (December 2015)
- World War II Case Study – Minor L. Dickerson (January 2016)
- Researching the U.S. Naval Armed Guard in World War II (February/March 2016)
- Researching Women in World War II (March 2016)
- Combining World War II Research on Fold3 with Your Ancestry Family Tree (April 2016)
- Attaching Correct Information to Your World War II Veterans (May 2016)
- Collaboration in World War II Research (June 2016)
- Expand and Enhance Your World War II Research and Knowledge (July 2016)
- Honoring World War II Service Together (August 2016)
- Preserving a Veteran’s Military History (November 2016)
- Writing Stories from the Heart (December 2016)
- Researching the Battle of the Bulge (January 2017)
- Post WWI and WWII Immigration to the U.S. (February 2017)
- Searching for Women in WWII (March 2017)
- US Army Transport Lists (May 2017)
- World War II Book Resources on Fold3 (June 2017)
Your Genealogy Today and Internet Genealogy Magazines
These magazines are no longer in print.
Internet Genealogy
- Navigating World War II Research on Fold3.com (April/May 2016)
- Expanding World War II Military Service With Digitized Books, Records, and Archival Collections (Oct/Nov 2015)
- Researching WWII Military Ancestors: Reunion Websites (Aug/Sept 2015)
- Online Resources for Finding WWII Ancestors (June/July 2015)
Your Genealogy Today
- Honor Your WWII Soldier. Keep Their Memory Alive (March/April 2017)
- Traveling in Their Footsteps – My Journey through Europe with James (Nov/Dec 2016)
- Researching Military Service in World War II Museums and Cemeteries in Europe (Sept/Oct 2016)
- WWII US Records from the Battlefield (March/April 2016)
- Devil Dogs of the Air and Land: WWII Marine Corps Service (Jan/Feb 2016)
- WWII Naval and Coast Guard Records (Nov/Dec 2015)
- Reconstructing World War II Service Records for Army, Air Corps, and National Guard (Sept/Oct 2015)
- Starting Your World War II Research (July/Aug 2015)
Archives.com
Read articles I wrote for Archives.
- Resources for Examining Your Ancestors’ Neighborhood
- The Graves Registration Service in World War II: Part II
- The Graves Registration Service in World War II: Part I
- Women of World War II
- Locating Italian Records in the United States
- Thinking Ethnically: A Different Approach to Your Ancestors
- Teaching Genealogy in the Classroom: Tips for Teachers
- Immigrants, History, and the Second City: Resources for Chicago Genealogy
- Collaborate on Family History and Watch What Happens
- Historical Markers Point to Genealogical Treasures
- 3 Steps to Creating a Youth Genealogy Workshop
- Two Tools to Analyze Your Genealogy Data: OneNote and Blogs
- New Views of Your Ancestors in Spreadsheets and Maps
- Places to Discover Your Illinois Ancestors
- Telling the Stories of the Lost: Remembering Fallen Service Members
- Connecting Children With Their Past
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