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Cruise Planners – Terri O’Connell, Our Official Travel Partner

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The World War II Research and Writing Center is excited to announce we have an official travel partner. Cruise Planners – Terri O’Connell.

Why do We Have an Official Partner?

Roughly half of my research clients in the last three years have chosen to travel in Europe once we complete a research project. While I have traveled extensively in Europe for several years and can recommend places to go and people to meet, I am not a licensed travel agent and do not have the qualifications and legal licenses to book and schedule travel or tours. Working with Terri allows my clients the opportunity for an expanded experience.

Additionally, I am seeing a lot of American researchers turn “tour guide” and advertise they will handle every detail for their clients. These researchers do not have the necessary qualifications or legal licenses to properly manage tours or bookings. One thing you can be assured of when you book travel with us is we work with qualified and licensed professionals.

Learn More About Terri

Terri and I have known each other for more than 10 years. We first met when we were stepping into the professional genealogy field. Terri was already working as a travel agent which was fantastic because I needed someone to help with a family trip to Disney World. Since she planned that trip for me, we have worked together and collaborated on other genealogical and travel projects. Terri is handling the booking for our Finding the Answers Journey 2019 European Rivers and Castles Cruise.

Terri loves to help clients plan their individualized trips because they are more than a vacation. It’s a journey for all those involved in the planning and execution of the trip. Planning trips that take you to walk in the steps of your ancestors are rewarding for the descendant because it creates a connection to those that came before us. It is also rewarding for the travel specialist because they assisted with something that will last their clients a lifetime.

Would you like to know more? Please contact us with your questions.

© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center

Press Release – Genealogical Research Guidebook Released to Commemorate World War I Centennial

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Publication includes finding aids for US and Canadian service people as well as non-combatants

Chicago, IL— May 1, 2018 — What do you really know about your World War I era ancestors?  As American military men and women streamed into Europe 100 years ago, it was with the hope their efforts would help win a war to end all other wars.  Today, the story of those millions of military veterans as well as their loved ones contributing stateside are largely overlooked by genealogists and family historians.  This year, that concept is about to change.

World War I Genealogy Research Guide: Tracing American Military and Non-Combatant Ancestors has just been released by librarian and genealogist Debra M. Dudek.  The book was released for sale this spring to coincide with numerous World War I centennial commemorative events taking place throughout the country.

“Genealogists are often deterred by the absence of official Army military personnel service files due to a fire at the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis,” states Dudek.  “It wasn’t just World War I records which were lost in the fire.  Military service records which were dated well into the 1960s were hit hard as well.  Official federal military service files are only one part of a much larger assortment of records which are easily acquired by researchers.”

Dudek’s World War I Genealogy Research Guide provides a detailed plan to conduct and collect Great War military service information using a variety of online, archival, and printed resources.  An entire chapter is dedicated to links and descriptions of digital and non-digitized resources for each US state, a rarity among other military research guides.  Additionally, the book documents extensive information for locating naturalization documents and investigative reports pertaining to non-citizens serving in the US military or residing in the country during the conflict.

“The Great War period generated an amazing amount of records for both men and women who had immigrated to the United States before 1914,” Dudek said.  “While there are extensive federal military records on non-citizens serving in the US armed forces during the war, there are also civilian records which were collected on a local level.  These types of documents aren’t particularly well-known or widely utilized by genealogists.”

The book also outlines solid strategies for tracing female ancestors who contributed to the war effort as enlisted military nurses and yeomenettes, as well as in non-combatant roles within social and charitable organizations such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, YWCA, Daughters of the American Revolution, labor unions, and more.  The final chapter provides a quick guide to Canadian World War I military research, which would be useful for those who think their ancestors may have enlisted in units just across the border.

World War I Genealogy Research Guide draws on the wide network of records from the Great War era and beyond to introduce beginning and experienced genealogists to a vast collection of information available at their fingertips.  “It was my goal to help move researchers past the myth that ‘all the WWI records burned’ and empower them to explore the amazing array of county, state, and federal records accessible to anyone.   I’ve been helping people discover the hidden lives of their Great War ancestors for over five years, and I hope this book will help present and future genealogists uncover the experiences of both men and women during that important time in American history.  It’s not an overly complicated process, or something only attainable by experts.  World War I research is accessible to everyone, and I wanted to do everything I could to help with that journey.”

World War I Genealogy Research Guide: Tracing American Military and Non-Combatant Ancestors is available in both a print and digital format through Amazon.com.  The ebook edition retails for $4.99 USD while the print edition retails for $15 USD.  Additional forms and resources are available on the author’s website at http://www.debradudek.com.

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. Through these prompts, we explore life on the U.S. home front, women in service, and the lives of all veterans.

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.

Additional Resources

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.

Explore our online research and writing courses at WWII Education.

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 us for more details.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

Now Offering Coaching and Facilitation for Writing

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A lot of people are working through the online course Finding the Answers Through WWII Writing and reporting amazing shifts in their research and life. Two comments include,

Finding the Answers Through WWII Writing: Wonderful course! Explores many angles of writing not usually found in most courses. Looking at different perspectives of people involved in the stories and sharing what impact it has on us. Really thought-provoking! – Lisa

Jennifer, thank you for offering this WWII writing course. Until now, I have been reading my father’s unit’s morning reports and unit histories, and methodically writing down details and putting together a timeline. Your course has opened my eyes to more than just the words on the page. I can see my father in the reports. I was a typical daddy’s girl, so needless to say, I loved my father dearly. I thought I knew everything about him. Now I am beginning to understand more about my father, the person, and how the war impacted him and our family. I never thought about it until I started internalizing your questions and revisiting his life and mine. My father died before I started my family genealogy 20 years ago. In the beginning, I just wanted a picture of him in his uniform; no luck with that. That led me to look at his DD214 again, and to start searching his military history. I watched your Roots Tech presentation as it live-streamed and something told me to contact you. This course is a blessing to me. I’m learning so much through your guidance. My story is developing. Thanks again. – Marie

Are you interested in taking your writing further?

I offer one-on-one writing facilitation/coaching. In one hour session blocks we will explore what you are writing, your research, your questions and observations, and looking at the deeper issues that surface.

I have the capacity to help people:

  • See where someone is blocked and remove those blocks.
  • See things that are written between the lines – either by the client or those who created the documents with which the client is working.
  • Help clients define and clear the many threads of story and information in their heads to create a writing project plan.
  • Provide editing for a writing project.
  • Help clients refine their writing project from concept to draft to finished product.
  • Help people prepare a book for self-publishing.

The sessions are great for people who are:

  • Exploring their family stories, research, and their lives.
  • Need some help removing the blocks that stand in their way.
  • Connecting to the energy of what’s possible but are unsure how to get from point A to point B.
  • Choose to write articles or blog posts.
  • Choose to write and publish a book.

Contact Jennifer at info@wwiirwc.com to set up your writing sessions today. I look forward to creating with you!

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

Brothers In Arms Book Kickstarter Project

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Last fall a man named Kevin Callahan contacted me to work on a research project called Brothers In Arms. After discussing his targets, the WWII Research and Writing Center obtained some records and connected him with several of our contacts in Europe to help move his project forward.

Today, Kevin has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to produce a coffee table style book documenting the stories of those brothers buried side by side in American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) cemeteries overseas.

About His Project

More than 200 sets of brothers are buried side-by-side in 14 American World War II cemeteries in Europe, Africa and Asia. The goal of the Brothers in Arms Project is to tell the stories of these brothers and remember their sacrifices. We will publish a large-format, coffee table book profiling the lives of these brothers on the home front and on the battlefront. We plan to release the book by June 6, 2019, the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

The book will tell the story of the Unger brothers, three Jewish brothers from the Bronx who all volunteered for the US Army in World War II. Two decades earlier, the Unger family had been driven from their small town in Hungary by anti-Semitic violence. In 1943, the brothers returned to Europe to rid their native continent of a more horrific foe, Nazi Germany. Sadly, only one brother would survive and today, Louis and Joseph Unger lie side-by-side facing east in the Henri Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.

Watch the video and read more about the project…….

Please consider donating to this incredible cause to preserve the stories of those who fought and died to preserve our freedom. The WWII Research and Writing Center is honored to be contributing to this book.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

Finding the Answers for Homeschool Students

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Written by our Managing Editor, Allie Gillies

As a former Homeschooling Mom I always scoured the internet for resources that would engage my kids. My oldest is really into history but hated writing. I had to figure out how to get him to write. Finally, one day, a teacher friend recommended that I have him write about what he loves. I stopped forcing him to write what I wanted him to and instead chose the topic of History and his writing began to blossom. After taking the classes myself at the WWII Research and Writing Center, I immediately knew that they were a great option for homeschoolers. My son, Quinn, took a peak at them and said “I wish I had these when I homeschooled. I would have taken them all!”

We have Writing classes, how to do WWII Research online, Finding the Answers in the IDPF (Individual Deceased Personnel File) and more. Your student will be engaged in every class. If your student loves History- these classes are for you! If your student likes a good mystery and enjoys being a detective then Finding the Answers is a perfect fit.

Each class description includes the Educational Benefits incorporated into the class and all are suitable for the mature 7th-8th grader and ideal for the High School student. In addition, you will have access to me. You can ask questions via email or you can find me on Facebook at Allie Gillies. I have an array of free resources I can offer you and answer questions you may have. Years of homeschooling help me, help you.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter here! You will receive free information about our classes, special homeschooling offers and more!

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

New Managing Editor at the WWII Research & Writing Center

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I am so grateful to have, last month, hired Allie Gillies as my research assistant. One thing I have always done in my business is pay attention to the energy of people, what’s occurring, and what I perceive for the future. This allows me to change course as needed and I’m grateful to have hired someone who is able to do the same.

I quickly discovered Allie’s skills expand far beyond research and report creation. Her ability to change course quickly, create new materials, connect us with the homeschool community, and many other amazing capacities required we look at her job title and duties. Feeling also the energy of massive changes in the business this year, I am aware I will require two people in different positions.

I’m happy to announce that Allie Gillies is now the Managing Editor at the WWII Research and Writing Center.

Allie will be proofreading and editing our online courses and materials, books and publications. She will be creating curriculum to accompany our online course for Homeschoolers. As a former homeschooling mom, she has the skills to create coursework, curriculum and accompanying materials that will complement the online courses that the WWII Research and Writing Center offer. Allie’s love of history, her hobby doing genealogy and WWII research makes her a perfect fit for working with Jennifer Holik at the WWII Research and Writing Center.

Allie is our primary contact for homeschool resources at the WWII Research and Writing Center. She will be available to teach beginning genealogy classes in the Chicagoland area. Allie will also provide online support to homeschooling families as their students navigate the courses available to them. Contact Allie via email.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

New Online WWII Writing Course Available!

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The World War II Research and Writing Center is pleased to announce the release of a new educational website. WWII Education, which will provide users to online courses, webinars, and more! We are excited to announce the release of our first course, Finding the Answers Through WWII Writing.

Course Description:

Stories have the power to transform us. Throughout our lives, the stories we have heard may shape our identity. They may shape the perspective we have on life, the past, present, and future, ourselves, and those we love. Stories may raise questions about the war, family secrets, those who were lost, and things we discover through our research.

Take a walk with me for five weeks, through a WWII family story. Each week you will receive access to a new module to help you explore your family & military stories. The target of this course is help you put a story on paper and view it from multiple perspectives to see how you, your family, and the story have grown, found answers, peace, and closure. Finally, you will have the opportunity to witness the changes in one of my stories as I vulnerably talk about moments in my life.

We will discuss:

Why We Write

Identity

Perspective

Transformation

Legacy & Closure

Are you ready to start this journey to explore your family & military stories? Just click the link and get started today!

Researching your service member’s history can be complex. The World War II Research and Writing Center provides expert research experts to tackle your most challenging research questions. Contact us at info@wwiirwc.com for project details and costs. We have researchers on-site at the National Archives facilities to obtain materials within a few weeks, and a network of researchers and tour guides around the globe.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

New Service! Holistic Healing Facilitation for WWII Records

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The World War II Research and Writing Center, where we Find the Answers to your military research questions and family stories, is now offering holistic healing facilitation services.

Every client I work with requires something different which makes each project I work on unique. Some clients want the facts and only the facts ma’am. Some arrive with questions that require answers to give them peace and closure. Others arrive with one thing in mind and the energy of requiring more, which they may not be able to put into words.

I have the capacity to understand the energy of what is required. When clients are able to receive facilitation to move deeper into the records and information to get the answers they need, I can provide that.

What is facilitation? It is a conversation, sometimes more than one, to bring awareness to a client about the impact of the information they have received on a family member. For example, I worked with a client who researched a family member who was Killed In Action during World War II when the client was a small child. Children process things differently than adults and often have unanswered questions. Children also assume things are one way when in reality, they may be another way.

As an adult seeking information on the family member, through the research, the client became aware of family issues that were not discussed and emotions rose he was not expecting as he read certain documents. Through a few facilitation sessions via email over a couple of months, we were able to talk through many of these things so the client better understood the importance of what was provided through the research project. The client received answers, closure, and healing through the facilitation. The client also shared the research and the facilitation with his family which brought a shift in their lives. The research on this family member brought the past to the present and provided much closure to old family stories, drama, trauma, and helped the client understand as an adult, what he may not have been able to as a child.

Facilitation of the deeper issues the records and my research report bring up can take place via email correspondence, a phone call, or a private Zoom video call which can be recorded and shared with the client. Through these avenues we can discuss the specific questions or issues that arise during the research process and move toward closure and answers.

In some cases, further research may need to be done into military records or the client’s family history. Where family history research is required, I can refer clients to people who specialize in what they require as my focus is less genealogy and more military history and holistic healing.

Clients who require this deeper level of facilitation will have an additional fee added to their research projects for the number of hours they require for conversation and processing of the information. For example, if the client requires an hour call to discuss the information and their questions, then two hours will be added to a project for time for preparation for the call and any post-call work. This will be discussed on an as-needed basis with the client.

Would you like to take your research to a deeper level through holistic healing facilitation? I’d love to walk with you on that journey.

Have questions? Contact us for more information.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

Are you Researching the WWII Collaterals?

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Fred Davis lower bottom 2nd from right. Bomb Crew.

I say this often in most of my WWII talks but I will say it again. It’s vital you search for information on the collaterals. Those people who served with your service member, especially if they were part of a bomb crew or tank crew, or any unit in which they served closely with several others.

Why? Because their records may contain details on their crew members, especially if they died in service or are still considered Missing In Action (MIA).

2nd Lt. Fred Davis, pictured here, was a co-pilot in a bomber that went down 2 November 1943 in Austria. Researching Fred’s service online didn’t yield much. When I searched for the pilot, Jefferies, I landed on a website in which the author had written (not published) an 800 page book about the mission. He documented every crew, had numerous photos, and histories of the crews, the mission, successes, and losses. It was so well sourced you could walk his paper trail. Had I only searched for Fred, I may have never found that resource.

In another case, I received five IDPFs for a bomb crew. Some of these IDPFs contained letters to and from a Dutch researcher dated in the 1990s. Usually you see this in OMPFs (service files) where someone has requested a search. Those requests and any documents they send to NPRC, show up in the files. The same happens for IDPFs.

You can see an example here.

Through searching the collaterals, you may meet others who have done research on the people for whom you are searching for information. You may also learn details about the men and women you are researching, or discover others who might be incorporated into a research project. The possibilities are endless.

What interesting things have you discovered by searching the collaterals? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments.

Do you need assistance for research? We are taking new clients. Just use the contact section to reach us.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center