Are you looking for a Serial Number or Service Number for someone who is buried overseas in an ABMC cemetery? Here is one place you can look!
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finding the answers journey
Locating Information on WWI and WWII Missing and Dead
Are you looking for information on family members who died or are still missing from WWI, WWII, Korea, or the Vietnam War? I can help you find that information. Learn more in our short video and schedule your free consultation today to discuss how we can help you Find the Answers.
© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center
Releasing Our Family’s Choices & Experiences
If you have been following the articles and videos for the last week or so, I have been bringing up some strong questions. Questions which make people stop and react – positively or negatively. My point of view is that we should be looking at the other aspects of our family and military histories. What we discover can help us move forward and create a better, happier life. It also helps clear the past of negative energies.
I have spent a lot of time the last decade looking at the darker parts of my family’s history and the military history we have. I have helped many clients look at this as part of their research or writing projects. We all come out of the project changed and ready to create something greater for ourselves and our families. Are you ready to create something better?
Ask us how we can help you learn more about your family’s past – going deeper than the basic facts.
© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center
Why Do We Keep Repeating History? A Look at WWII.
Last weekend Johan and I traveled to the Dutch/German border near Aachen and spent a few days exploring WWII history and contemplating family history. I did a lot of writing on this trip. Musings. Questions. Concerns. Joyful things. All of this was captured in my journal.
One thing that keeps showing up the longer I am in Europe on this trip is that history keeps repeating itself. We are not doing enough to stop this.
In September while at the unveiling of a new WWII memorial in the Netherlands, during a speech someone said something to the effect that the Dutch have lived in relative peace for almost 75 years. The current young generations have no idea what it is like to live in fear or hunger. They in many ways take their freedom for granted as if this is how it has always been and this is how it will always be.
Wrong attitude.
The Dutch seem to be the only European country (that I have witnessed) consistently educating their youth on the history and events of WWII. I can say that having kids in American schools, they are not being educated on any of this beyond 5 minutes here or there. My boys know about our family’s history and sacrifices because I take time to explain it. They know how things work in other countries because I explain it. Knowing American schools are not educating about the past in a way that we can stop the division, anger, hate, and war in the present or cause our kids to QUESTION everything, stirs a lot of emotion in me. Rather than question, students are being taught to follow the crowd like sheep and buy into everything the media, government, school, church, etc. tells them is “truth”.
In the Netherlands, the school children participate in commemorations and other events so the history is alive. In other countries in Europe it seems to be covered up, changed, ignored, slid under the carpet.
Case in point, we watched a National Geographic investigative program on Mussolini the other night after we visited the Nazi Training Facility at Vogelsang in the German Eifel. I have not studied Italian history beyond early family history for a client so was unaware that Mussolini was in power so long in the 1930s and Hitler modeled himself after Mussolini. Then the historians in the program made an important point – when rulers are losing power or the country is going to hell, they create a DISTRACTION. That distraction is war.
Mussolini took his country into war with Ethiopia and won yet lost. WWII began and eventually Italy, who originally sided with Hitler, lost that connection and became an Allie. From the program and what I’ve heard, Italy does not educate their youth the way the Dutch do. There is a rise in Fascism today because people want a new Mussolini. They seem to have no concept of what happened in the past to bring him to power, the destruction he caused, and his downfall and the state of Italy afterward.
Thinking about all we have seen in the last two months in Europe, the programs I have watched, the places we visited, the history I read, the clients I have been working with, I did a lot of writing on this topic before we visited Margraten, the Netherlands American Cemetery for WWII. In this sacred place I wandered the graves, visited some specific soldiers, was snagged to stop and talk to others, and contemplated all of this. Having family members who fought, were changed, or died, in WWI and WWII, I do not understand why we keep forgetting the past. Why we continue to carry the sins of the fathers around like they are ours. Why we are so afraid to bring our family darkness to the light and explore it. Forgive it. Release it. Find closure.
Some of my thoughts are contained in this video. Some invitations and questions for YOU are also here. Have you taken the time to consider these things? What roles have your family members played in the past – whether WWII, WWI, or even before that, to continue looping history? Do you think it is time to let these things go and stop carrying them in our families?
Additional reading: for background on this trip and where some of my questions came from, you are invited to read the other articles I wrote where I touch on these topics.
Are you ready to explore your family’s history or military history? Explore our services and educational materials to learn more.
© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center
The Lessons of Vogelsang
Johan and I visited Vogelsang, a former Nazi Training Facility and Tourist hot spot/wedding venue during the 1930s and early 1940s. Standing in this place now, looking out over the beautiful fall Eifel National Park, and knowing the history of this place, was hard to wrap my head around.
The National Socialist Documentation Center, which we visited and saw the exhibit, “The Master Race”, offers these questions on their website:
- What was the attraction of a place like Vogelsang during the National Socialist period?
- What did the party leadership promise young men coming here regarding their future?
- What motivated their hopes and their desire for social advancement?
Were they, through drill and formation, predestined to participate in crimes, or could they have also said no? - Did they see themselves as members of a supposed master race and act upon this?
After we viewed the exhibit and walked most of the complex, I had no answers to those questions. I only had more questions and uncertainty about the world and the humans who inhabit it.
One thing we have to remember, especially in this day and age is that We did not commit the sins of our fathers but we carry them in our DNA. What would it take for us to release this burden we carry that is not ours? What would it take to stop using energetic words that cause us to take on the energy of others like saying, “I’m embarrassed or I’m ashamed or I feel guilty” when we have no reason to take this on because we are not the ones doing whatever we are apologizing for. Maybe most importantly, what would it take for people to stop acting like sheep and following the pack and believing everything they are told? What would it take for more people to wake up and start questioning everything?
How might our world change? Could we stop the war, anger, hate, division, and all the other negativity in this reality?
My invitation to you is to start looking at the darker sides of your family and military history. Bring those things into the light and release the shame, guilt, sadness, negativity, darkness, horror, whatever it is that is stuck there. Let it go. Forgive. Move on to create a better future.
Would you like help researching your family or military history? Would you like to explore the darker sides of your history to clear and release the past?
© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center
How Do You Accurately Reconstruct Military History?
I am often asked how to reconstruct a military service file. In this short video I talk about this. Be sure to scroll down to see the additional resources to help you accurately reconstruct military history. You might be surprised to discover reconstruction is not what a lot of people tell you it is.
Additional Resources
Pick up one of our research books on Kindle or Paperback from Amazon. We have the only books on the market that teach you how to research any 20th century war. The strategies, records, and tools that we teach you for WWII research apply to WWI, Korea, and Vietnam.
Take one of our online courses available at WWII Education.
Educational Articles on Research
© 2019 World War II Research & Writing Center
Are You Ready to Explore More of You & Your Family?
Learn more at Finding the Answers Journey after watching the video.
© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center
Holocaust History – Kazerne Dossin Museum
On 6 October 2018, Johan and I visited the Kazerne Dossin Museum in Mechelen, Belgium. Originally, when I looked at the museum information, I thought it contained history of the Holocaust, but did not read closely enough to see that the entire museum was not a “war museum” for WWII but specifically a Holocaust Museum.
We went early enough, not long after the museum opened, hoping to visit while it was quiet. Having visited other Holocaust sites, camps, and WWII museums, I know I do better going when it is less busy and crowded. I do a lot of healing in these places, a lot of writing, contemplation, and too many people or too much noise make it hard for me to function. I thought the one place people would be respectful was a Holocaust Museum but that wasn’t the case. There were many French-speaking groups in the museum after we arrived, all speaking loudly, some laughing. Being a medium who hears what the dead say – I can’t repeat what I heard because I’m sure it will offend someone, but know the dead were NOT happy.
When you walk into the museum, one of the first things you see is a wall with thousands of faces. There is a wall like this on every floor.
There are several floors that walk you through the history of the Holocaust. It is in many ways, very similar to what you see at every other Holocaust museum or camp. Then there were history panels and stories which were specific to this place. You really should read the INTRODUCTION on their website for the specific history. Their introduction begins,
“Between 1942 and 1944, 25,484 Jews and 352 Roma and Sinti were deported from the 18th century Dossin barracks. Just over 5% returned from Auschwitz-Birkenau. Kazerne Dossin is an intense and unique place of commemoration. The museum deals with the persecution of Jews and gypsies in Belgium. Until mid-1942, the occupier was able to count everywhere on the often supportive cooperation of the authorities. How was that possible? Why this persecution? What did it mean for the victims and how did they react? Was there no resistance? These are core questions in the museum.”
So many questions.
So many faces.
So many stories.
These are questions we still ask today about the Holocaust and every other event that has or is happening where mass violence is occurring in our world. What would it take to make it stop?
The museum is laid out nicely and you walk each floor through paneled walkways filled with stories, artifacts, photos, and questions. One of the most impressive or soul numbing walks I took in the middle of one floor was starting on one end with all the photos and as I walked down the aisle I was walking into Auschwitz.
Once I reached the top two floors of the museum, most of the noise of visitors was gone as there were only a few people up there. This is where the primary history was being told about Belgium, this location, and those who left. On the top floor there is a panoramic view of the city of Mechelen and a large open space with seating for you to sit and contemplate what you’ve just seen. By the time I reached the top floor I’d had enough of rude people and walked back down to the special exhibit on the Holocaust in Strips (Comic Strips). I took a quick look at that and then we left.
Across the street from the museum is the Memorial where the Jews and Gypsies departed this area from. In the building there are many artifacts on the main floor, which I did not stop to look at. I went downstairs to the cellar where there is a room with 28 monitors, one for each transport, that rotate through each person on each transport. In a separate room there are seats on which you sit, one for each transport and above you, you hear the names of those on that specific transport. You can listen to this short video to get the feeling of this space. Note – this video is short and there is a high pitch noise I did not hear in the room when I recorded it. In fact, while the names were spoken clearly, what was recorded was not completely clear. Listening to it now I hear other things too – the energy of the room is speaking.
I did not remain there long because unfortunately several people came in speaking very loudly.
Overall, the museum is very well done and if you can visit when there are not groups speaking loudly and behaving rudely, I recommend you visit. If nothing else, please visit their website and read about the museum and memorial. Stop to consider the questions they ask and then ask yourself – what can I do to help heal the past?
© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center
Holocaust History – Fort Breendonk, Belgium
Johan and I visited Belgium recently and spent part of a day at Fort Breendonk. The fort was in use during World War I, but our primary interest, and what was contained in most of the fort, was the history of what took place there in World War II. During WWII it was used as a concentration transit camp.
I was aware it would be a day of healing for the past, present, and future. I was aware the day would impact me in ways I could not have imagined prior to visiting. I almost expected to be bombarded with voices and energy, yet that is not what happened. For the most part, it was serene, which did not fit with the amount of torture, abuse, and deprivation that took place there.
Walking into the front of the fort, it doesn’t look that big. However, when you walk across the bridge into the tunnel that leads into the heart of the fort, you quickly realize this is not a warm, friendly place. There are many rooms with photos that describe what the rooms were used for and provide stories of the men, women, and children who passed through the doors.
In one room there are twelve large photos of men who were executed at the fort for their Resistance activities. Across the hall from this room, there are walls filled with names of those who passed through this camp and those who died here. There are urn-like cylinders in the middle of the room with the names of the major concentration camps. There are flowers in the niches on one wall to honor those who are no longer with us. We must never forget.
Moving deeper into the fort we found barracks rooms with huge iron door bars which were placed across the door so no one could escape. Within each of the barracks rooms, we heard stories of those lived there, saw artifacts that were in the rooms, and felt the chill of death. Some rooms felt colder than others. Across from each barracks room were long sinks. I listened to one story that described what a prisoner had to do upon being woken each morning which included making their bed, washing up, getting dressed, and other things, all within 3-4 minutes. If they were even 1 second past the time limit allowed, they were denied food, coffee, water, and often subjected to hard labor for a day.
Not only were there barracks rooms but rooms with tiny cells for prisoners. In most of the cells we saw, no light would enter once the prisoner’s door was closed. I cannot imagine being locked in one of these rooms for even five minutes. The energy in those rooms did not feel good.
In the center of the fort, outside, we went into a small red building that had large photos of several SS men and women who worked at the camp. I could not sit and listen to every story because the ones I heard were terrible and my mind, heart, and soul were churning with questions. One man, Fernand Wyss, was one who loved torture. He was active in the torture chamber and often gave the final shot in executions. He was quoted as saying,
“I carried out so many assaults in Breendonk I can no longer tell one from the other. I was motivated by love of violence. This is hell and I am the devil (was his motto.)”
Fernand was 21 years old and was responsible for beating and killing at least 16 people and beating or abusing at least 167 people.
Hearing about him made me a bit sick. It didn’t help he looks just like someone I know in Europe either. I often wonder when we leave one life, do we show up in another looking almost the same and playing out some of those roles?
Many of the SS individuals featured in this building and through stories were tried by Belgian or German courts after the war and executed. A few were never found.
After you walk through 3/4 of the fort, you end up outside to walk around the back side where you find a work field and execution area. The outside today, is beautiful. Peaceful. Surrounded by a moat where you see birds, ducks, geese, and other animals. With a blue sky and sun shining brightly, for a moment you almost forget where you are. I wonder how many prisoners felt that way. Did any of them take comfort in the beauty that existed outside the dark, cold barracks and fort? Did it give any of them hope?
At the execution area, I walked in to read the plaques there, one of which contained the names of those who were executed. Trying to move farther into the area and look at the places where guns would have come out of the concrete fort structure, I felt an overwhelming sense of negative energy. It was too much and I had to walk away from that area. I cleared some energy and waited for Johan to finish reading the plaques. Then we moved back inside the fort to see the last few rooms, which contained a lot of Holocaust history and photos.
Leaving the fort, we walked across a bridge that felt and sounded like it had seen better days. From the bridge you could see one of the observation towers. I took some beautiful photos of the bridge and area and again had trouble reconciling what I was seeing on this beautiful day with the history of the place.
By this time we had been at the fort about three hours. The ticket lady told us to expect two to three hours for our visit. Looking at the fort, as I mentioned above, I didn’t think we’d be there that long. There really is a lot to see and hear there.
The fort had a small entrance fee and we were given audio tour radios to listen to the many stories throughout the space. The ticket area which contained a small gift shop also had the audio guide for the tour available for sale. I did not purchase that as I felt I was on overload and didn’t want any more of the energy with me after I left.
For those doing genealogical research, the fort has a lot of history, stories, and photos. It is a treasure trove for families who had someone imprisoned here or who worked here.
There is a nice restaurant just outside the fort entrance if you are hungry. We had a late lunch and sat in the sun trying to process what we had just experienced.
There are really no words for what took place here. A few days later I am still processing what I saw and heard. Johan and I sat outside behind the fort for a while discussing the stories. Wondering how people could be so horrific and enjoy abusing, torturing, and making life hell for others. What drives a person to become that? What has to happen in their lives (or past lives) that creates this?
The bigger question – what can we do or be to change this? To release the hate and heal? What else is possible?
© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center
The Mission Belle – Unveiling the Monument
This is part 2 of a series about the Mission Belle monument unveiled 29 September 2018 in the Netherlands.
Yesterday I wrote about The Mission Belle – Freedom Demands Responsibility. Today I would like to continue the story of the day’s events.
After lunch there was a briefing conducted by Joe, a retired Army soldier who had been stationed in Germany for many years. He took command of the airmen and did an incredible job re-enacting a mission briefing for the families. One thing we should always remember about military research – no matter what war we are talking about – is there is always something new to learn. It doesn’t matter how many military reports you’ve read or veterans you’ve spoken to, there is always more to learn. Seemingly small details that played a big role in a service member’s day, missions, life, and death. I learned quite a lot listening to Joe speak.
Then the families had some time to gather outside and look at the vehicles prior to loading up in the WWII trucks to take them to the monument site just down the road.
Johan and I chose to drive ourselves and had to park about 1/4 mile away. Walking closer to the monument we were surprised to see the large crowd gathered. The Dutch tend to come out for commemorations and monument unveilings, but this was the largest crowd I’ve seen at a commemoration here so far. One newspaper article reported over 300 people in attendance. I would agree.
Several speeches were given and of course the children participated by reading poems. Dutch children participate in every commemoration because Freedom isn’t Free or a Given. Dutch children are taught about WWII and the lasting effects in the hope that history will not repeat itself.
After the speeches, wreaths were laid by the Mission Belle Foundation, the Americans, the family members, the city, and other organizations. Then the families came up to lay their flower bouquets around the monument.
Two drummers moved in and then Taps was played. Following Taps, the American and Dutch National Anthems were played as the flags were raised. Apollo from the movie Band of Brothers was played and then two airplanes did a fly over once, turned around and did a missing man formation over us as they flew back to their base. It was a beautiful ending to a moving ceremony.
I was able to speak to one of the sons of an airman, both before we went to the monument and after the unveiling. He was so moved and a bit overwhelmed by the day’s events and emotions, in a good way. He too was surprised at how many people came to the event, that the children participated, and the beautiful words spoken in the speeches. I have the awareness he found a lot of peace and closure – for that I am grateful.
As I write this, the families are at Margraten visiting the graves of two of the crew members. There are a few other activities planned before the families depart. I hope they all find some answers and peace they were seeking. I hope we all continue to share the stories of the war and create a peace-filled future.
Would you like to read one more article about the day’s events, from a different perspective? Read The Mission Belle – Following the Flight Path on my site, Finding the Answers Journey. I hope you enjoy this gallery of photos.
Also visit the site of the Mission Belle, specifically the NEWS section and FILES sections for more resources.
© 2018 World War II Research & Writing Center