WWII Research & Writing Center

Recent Articles

Article Archive

Article Categories

hiring a WWII researcher

The Witches Scales in Oudewater, Netherlands

by Leave a Comment

Is She A Witch?

On October 5, 2017, I visited the village of Oudewater in the Netherlands. I was going to meet a friend for a girls day and explore somewhere I had not visited in prior trips. It was a cool, windy, and rainy day but we didn’t mind. Oudewater has plenty of little cafes, restaurants, and places to visit. We had a lovely coffee and some apple cake and then set off to find a flower shop to get some items for the wedding. As we wandered, we found the Museum De Heksenwaag, which I had forgotten was there!

The Museum De Heksenwaag is an historic place where men and women went starting in 1482, to be weighed to determine if they were a witch!

The museum is very small and consists of two floors. The main floor hosts a gift shop and the famous scales. Upstairs there are exhibits that show artifacts from the time which include books, certificates documenting witches and non-witches, maps, and drawings. There is a children’s library and theater area and a video you can watch to learn more about the history of Oudewater and witch hunts through time in the Netherlands.

The upstairs had an energy to it that is difficult to explain. There were moments I felt like I had stepped back in time. There were moments the energy and air around me felt heavy and it was hard to breathe. And (thankfully!) only brief moments where I felt like leaving my body and never returning. How many lifetimes was I persecuted and killed for things people did not understand, just as many of the people listed in the historic books were killed? We’ve been everything and done everything. I’ve cleared and healed many things from past lives related to persecution, though we are never quite done. If you are very sensitive to energy and the energy of items and places, be aware before you visit.

Returning downstairs, we met the man who weighs those who hope to be declared too heavy to be a witch. He provides those who wish to be weighed, a brief history of what they are doing and why. Incredibly, everyone who steps on the scales is determined NOT to be a witch. And for this, they receive a certificate to prove this, in case they must travel outside of the area are are accused. I did ask if they had a certificate for those who were too light and the answer was no.

I received my certificate and was sure to carry it throughout my travels, especially when visiting castles. You never know when you will be in need of it!

Walking through Oudewater you will see old buildings, sometimes tilted one way or another with doors and windows that are not quite straight anymore. They have so much character. There are canals as in many Dutch towns and plenty of bikes. Many of the buildings have art painted on them or in frames which hang on the buildings. Seeing these things and the art above doorways, which in the past indicated the profession of those who lived and worked there, are some of my favorite things about these small villages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oudewater is a sweet village with a lot of interesting history. I feel as if some things from past lives were released on this day, which is always a good thing. It is a beautiful place to spend half a day as you wander through the Netherlands and want a bit of history and charm.

Have you been there? Did you step on the Witches Scales?

© 2017 World War II Research and Writing Center

Visiting the Land of my Ancestors – Part 1

by Leave a Comment

Life is an adventure. Something to be experienced and enjoyed. I often ask, ‘How does it get any better than this?‘ When I ask that question, magic happens.

For many years I didn’t feel like there was much of that unless you count raising three boys an adventure, which I often do. Having twins has made most days an experience beyond anything I’d known. Then in 2015 I embarked on a new adventure – traveling to Europe. Since that trip and the choices I made because of the experiences I had, life continues to be ever changing and some days I don’t even recognize myself.

Who am I today? That is a question I often ask.

We all make choices in life to pay attention to some things while ignoring others. To stay isolated versus being with new people. We stick so much to our family stories and who we ‘believe’ we are and our family members are, that we often shut out the possibilities of what could be. We often close ourselves off to the possibilities of experiences, people, jobs, travel, and healing that could change us in ways we desire but are too afraid to embrace. I speak from experience.

Yet when we take that one chance, our entire reality can change. I took that chance after my first trip to Europe and it led to meeting the most amazing man, who is now my husband. Johan offered up several places for us to go on honeymoon. One was Prague. When he offered this as a possibility, my entire body and soul lit up and started dancing and yelling, ‘YES LET’S GO THERE!!!’

Feeling there were reasons beyond my immediate understanding of why I had to go to Prague, I was completely aware there was something greater than myself at work here. I knew without a doubt this trip would change my life and the lives and souls of others. I also knew it would bring me home.

My Czech Family

This was my first trip to the Czech Republic. Our plane ride from Amsterdam to Prague was short and my heart beat faster as we got closer to Prague airport. Seeing the land of my ancestors made me almost cry as I heard their voices welcoming me home and reminding me I was not only here for myself but also them.

All of my family lines, which I have traced back to the early 1800s in most cases and 1600s in another line, were in what was Bohemia, then Czechoslovakia. All of those who emigrated, came to Chicago. Where did my ancestors come from before where my research ends? I’m starting to figure that out after not looking at my genealogy for several years. I’m also waiting for a DNA kit to arrive so I can learn more and hopefully have some questions answered. Many who heard my surname, Holik, welcomed me home. It felt so good to be welcomed home.

What surnames make up my family?

Holik from Senetín and before that, Ledec nad Sázavou

Rataj/Ratay from Pisek

Brouk from Holovousy, Chric,

Schubert/Subrt & Kocka from Hresilavy and Chric

Tregler & Svihlik from Kladno, Motycin near Prague

Kokoska/Kokaska from unknown at this time but likely near Osek as he married a Priban.

Priban from Osek where the family lived for over two centuries

Zajicek from Pilsen

Hammer/Hamer from Drakov, Kraj Tabor

Exploring Prague

Johan and I stayed at the K+K Hotel in Prague just down the street from the Powder Tower and Municipal Center. This hotel was full of Art Deco, which Johan loves. Seeing so much Art Deco and Mucha art in Prague, I’ve now become a fan. We arrived late afternoon and there were two main things I wanted. Kolacky and for dinner – either roast duck or roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut. Of course I wanted to see some sights, but Czech food was high on my list.

We ended up walking first to the Powder Tower and passed some WWII war memorials on the buildings as we walked. Next to the Tower is the Municipal Center, which is filled with Art Deco. Simply gorgeous. One can spend hours looking at all the details and stained glass and mosaics. We were in need of a snack so headed into one of the restaurants in the building called Kavárna, which had a cart filled with cake options. Of course we each chose a different cake so we could sample two options.

After enjoying our cake and coffee and exploring a little more of the building, we ventured out …. destination unknown. Thankfully Johan is a master navigator and we can walk all over a city and he always knows where he is and how to get anywhere we want to go. I’m not always so great at this.

Having made only a short list of things we ‘must-see’ on this trip, we were happy to see where our feet took us and what showed up along the way. Our walking took us down a long road to the Old Town Square where we found Our Lady of Tyn Church. This was on my list of things to see. We arrived after 5 p.m. so it was closed. Outside there was a sign for a classical music concert the following evening. How amazing would it be to hear that in a centuries old church? We bought tickets and I asked, ‘How does it get any better than this?’

Walking back to the square we admired the gorgeous architecture on the buildings, watched people as they made their way through from one place to another. Watched street performers and heard bits of music. We made our way across the square to another church (I love churches) and found St. Nicholas Church. They were having a concert that evening at 7:30 and were going to play something from my favorite composer – Dvořák and his From the New World! I may have gotten VERY excited over the possibility of hearing this in a church so Johan agreed we could get tickets. Two concerts, two nights in Prague! ‘How does it get any better than this?’ It didn’t take long to find out! We kept walking the square and soon found the Old Town Hall and when we walked around the side, there was the Astronomical Clock! Needless to say, I kept asking the question the rest of the night and amazing things showed up.

By this time it was getting close to 6:00 and we needed to find some dinner before going to the concert. As luck would have it, we found The White Horse restaurant which had outdoor seating. It was very noisy and getting chilly, so the hostess suggested we eat in their cellars. That sounded interesting and less noisy so we agreed. We walked down two levels of old stone stairs and ended up eating in the Roman Cellars. It was magical! And of course, they had roast duck, dumplings, and sauerkraut! It was a lot and I ate it all. Delicious!

After dinner we went to St. Nicholas Church to hear the concert. The music, atmosphere, lighting, and history all brought ghosts from the past to join us to enjoy the magic of the music and space. The group consisted of violinists, cellists, and a bass. They played Ravel’s Bolero, Dvořák’s Symphony Number 9 in E Minor, Pachelbel’s Canon, and some Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi. Many times tears came to my eyes as my heart swelled with the rise and fall of the music in that sacred space. It was an amazing way to close out our first day in Prague.

Prague at night is magical. The buildings, art, lights, people, music. We enjoyed the way the Old Town Square looked after the concert on our walk back to the hotel. Little did we know one more surprise awaited us…..champagne and chocolates from the hotel staff wishing us a happy marriage.

Our first partial day in Prague was incredible. So many emotions and experiences and a profound sense of being home. Where would the next three days take us? Who would we meet? What would we see and experience? How would our lives be changed? What did my ancestors have in store for me beyond the magic provided this first day? Stay tuned to find out and learn some travel tips in the final article.

© 2017 World War II Research and Writing Center

From Margraten to Mississippi, A Dutch Family’s Journey

by 2 Comments

This is a guest post written by Bert Eggen.

A little history about the American War Cemetery in Margraten, a little village in the South of the Netherlands and our special bond with Mississippi.

The use of this cemetery started at the end of 1944. At any moment in 1945 there were about 18.000 American soldiers buried in Margraten. The local community decided to appeal the Dutch people to adopt a grave. That meant that you regularly had to visit the grave, do some prayers for the soldier and put flowers on the grave. On Memorial Day 1946 all the graves were adopted by Dutch people and one of them was my father. He had adopted the grave of the American Staff Sergeant Earl Jenkins from Winona, Mississippi who had been killed in November 1944 in the German Eiffel Mountains. (Hurtgen Forest.)

Bert by the grave of Earl Jenkins in 1947. Photo courtesy Bert Eggen.

At the end of 1949 about 10.000 of the killed soldiers had been brought back to the USA and have been reburied there. This was also the case with Earl Jenkins. He has been reburied at the cemetery near Winona , Mississippi.

Bert at Earl Jenkin’s grave in Mississippi. Photo courtesy Bert Eggen.

At our first visit to the Jenkins family we also have visited his grave. Since that first visit, we go every year to Mississippi and visit them. From there we start our vacation-trip through the USA.

At the present time there are still 8.301 American graves and the names of 1.722 missing soldiers are engraved on two big walls.

On May 8th 2005 your President Bush and our Queen Beatrix visited the cemetery on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Europe.

John Rutherford, MIA

My wife and I have also adopted a grave.  The name of our soldier is John Rutherford and he was also from Mississippi. About 12 years ago I started to do some research to find out about the families of those soldiers. Unfortunately our soldier John Rutherford doesn’t have any relatives.

Remembering Earl Jenkins

But it happened that we found the relatives of Earl Jenkins.  We found his daughter Earline, his brother Clyde , his sister LuluMae and many of his nephews. Since that time, 10 years ago, we travel every year to Mississippi to visit our “new relatives.“ So it is obvious that we have a special bound with Mississippi.

Every year on Memorial Day there is a special ceremony on the cemetery in Margraten. On each grave are two little flags planted, one American and one Dutch flag. Now we had the plan of also planting a little flag of Mississippi on the graves of the soldiers from Mississippi. It appears that there 98 of them buried in Margraten. That is when I started to contact the Government in Jackson and informed them about the cemetery, the adoption by the Dutch citizens and my plan for the flags of Mississippi. Then things worked out very quick and very well, especially thanks to the great support of Mr. Chuck Holifield, Outreach coordinator of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board. In August 2013 my wife and I and some Jenkins were invited to the State Capitol in Jackson Mississippi. There was a ceremony and Governor Phil Bryant handed over 100 little Mississippian flags to me. It was a very special event for us!!!!! Every year with Memorial Day we place those little flags at the Mississippian gravesides.

Do you have questions about John or Earl? You can email Bert Eggen to learn more.

© 2017 World War II Research and Writing Center

13 January 2018 WWII Program in the Netherlands

by Leave a Comment

Finding Your Soldier’s History

13 January 2018 at 13:00 at Delware Company BV, Wilgehout 13 3371 KE Hardinxveld-Giessendam Netherlands

This program will be conducted in English.

Program Description:

Have you adopted a grave at an ABMC cemetery? Are you unsure how to locate more information about your soldier?

Are you researching a bomb crew and unsure where to find the crew’s records?

Did you locate dog tags or another item from a soldier and want to know more about his service?

Then this program is for you!

Many questions surround the service history of Americans who served in Europe during World War II. The answers will be given during this program.

  • Where do I start with my research?
  • What are the steps I need to take if I have some information?
  • What records are available and how can they be accessed?
  • How can I connect with a soldier’s family?

While this program is free, you must register for this program so we know how many to prepare for. Prior to the program you will be sent an email link to download a handout for the program. You may print this and bring it with to take notes. Coffee and tea will be available for purchase prior to the program.

To Register, please email Jennifer the following to info@wwiirwc.com

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Any questions you have about your soldier or bomb crew. I will answer as many as possible in my talk.

See you in January!

© 2017 World War II Research and Writing Center

A Family’s Grief & the Cost of WWII Repatriation

by 2 Comments

The cost of World War II is unimaginable, from the number of lives lost to the monetary expenditure to fight and later bring some living and dead back home. Many people today are under the assumption, based on misinformation that has circulated, that the U.S. government paid for every penny of the expense to return a soldier’s remains to the U.S. and bury him anywhere the family desired. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Please meet Pvt. Joseph S. Kilian. I did locate a photo of Joseph on a family tree on Ancestry, but do not have permission to use the photo at the time I am writing this article. Joseph was part of Battery C 185th Field Artillery 34th Infantry Division. ASN: 33130298.  He was Killed In Action 20 February 1943 in North Africa. He still rests there today.

Joseph is one example of a soldier who was unable to return home once the war was over. As you read through his Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF), not only do you learn about his service and death, you see his father wrote letters asking about the return of remains. One stated he was too poor to afford to bury his son in the U.S., even if the military returned Joseph’s remains.

The military responded about the costs of repatriation in a two page letter.

Sadly, Joseph’s case is not the only one in which a family could not afford to bury their son or daughter. Joseph’s father says, “I gave my son up to die for our country. But the government hasn’t repayed me a red cent.” (3 page letter p.35/79 IDPF).

I do not have all the answers as to why the government chose to only pay for certain things (burial in a national cemetery) rather than other things (burial in a private cemetery). I can only share the information as it was presented to families.

As we research the service members in our families, we should not only be looking at names, dates, and places. We should explore the dark depths and secrets of the family situation. From these things, we can learn so much more about those who have gone before us and ourselves.

View Joseph’s Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF).

Do you need help researching your WWI, WWII, or Korean service member? Contact us today and ask how we can help!

© 2017 World War II Research and Writing Center

Demanding Answers About WWII War Dead

by Leave a Comment

Andilly Cemetery

I sit in the Netherlands this morning reading the Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) of a Jewish soldier named Harvey. The 361 page IDPF contains interesting information. It is a perfect example of what I always tell people in my books, articles, and programs. The government did not tell families everything when their son or daughter died. Honestly, how could it provide so much information for the families of the thousands of war dead and missing, while also maintaining the job it had to do for the troops on the ground, in the air, and at sea, and win the war? Things were handwritten or typed. Sent up the line to the next person who would handle the information. We were not in a time of computers and instant communication.

Harvey’s file has multiple examples with such incredible documentation by his father, George, it requires several articles to explain the information. My hope by explaining and providing documentation from the file, families of World War II war dead will find some answers, peace, closure, and healing.

So many thoughts race through my head as I read the file. It is difficult to sort my thoughts and feelings about the contents of this file, and all the voices of those long gone who keep appearing to have their say. It is important to have no judgment when reading these files. Most of us reading these files did not live through the war. We cannot fully understand what our families experienced, especially when attempting to procure information about a deceased loved one.

I hear the judgment from voices of the dead that scream it is unfair Harvey’s father was able to learn so much about the death of his son, while other families did not have the education, financial means, or social connections, to secure such information.

I also hear the judgment in the words George uses in his letters, and in some ways, a sense of entitlement, that the military should be immediately responding to his inquiries. There is a sense that while George knows his son is not the only man who died, his words provide a feeling that his son is the only one that matters, and information should be provided as a priority. This is understandable and possibly how most families felt, even if it isn’t expressed as in-depth as what we find in this file. Each family grieved in their own way, felt the pain and loss, and demanded answers, though not in the same way as George.

There is a difference between George and other many other families. George owned a business, appeared to have money, connections, and was educated. The combination of these things allowed him to connect with many people who were in a position to obtain information about his son’s death and personal effects. He had the means to fight in court, if necessary, to locate information. At least that is the sense he gives through his words in some of his letters. Most families did not have the connections, financial means, or possibly even the education, to write such letters and demand information.

George, often says, “It is unfair.” He uses this term in many of his letters to the government as he expresses his frustration in obtaining information and personal effects for his son. Readers can feel the simmering anger just below the surface of his words. In his letters, George often refers to his son as a “number,” in the way that the military doesn’t view him as a person, just as a number. Just another “number” who died, as if the military didn’t care the soldier ever existed or had a soul. He also often states he is confused about the information and timing of receipt.

The more I read George’s letters, the more I feel George was misplaced in time. Meaning he belonged in today’s world where information travels by email and social media instantly. A man who demands immediate information. We have to remember that during World War II, information to families was not immediate. It often took weeks or months for information to navigate its way through official channels before it reached the family. While the reasons for the length of time it took to receive information from overseas was likely “known” by families, it didn’t make the waiting any easier. The pain of loss seemed to override any knowing families had, making it more difficult in some cases to help them understand what was happening and why.

George’s letters explain what he knows to be the facts about receiving information. On the other hand, he demands faster attention, as if he is unable to fully comprehend the enormity of what has to be done for each soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine fighting in the war around the world. He is so fully focused only on his pain and that of his wife, his words make it appear he cannot see anything else.

How many families can relate to George’s feelings? How many families today – the children of WWII soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, even the grandchildren – seek answers, closure, peace, and healing? Many of my clients can relate and ask specifically for these things. Many of the people I interact with on social media and email can relate. Even in my own family’s military history, we have unanswered questions because of misinformation and secrets kept until the grave.

My Task

My intention is to help families heal and find answers to questions they may not have even known they had, but have always lurked in their subconscious, giving a sense that there must have been more we could have known.

Do you have specific questions about the IDPF, its contents, the information provided to families, or other questions? Please post them in the comments.

© 2017 World War II Research and Writing Center

Program 8 April 2017 – The Day That Lived In Infamy

by Leave a Comment

On Saturday, April 8, 1:00 p.m., Jennifer Holik will be presenting the program, The Day That Lived in Infamy. Navigating World War II Military Records. 

All the records burned! A fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, in 1973, destroyed approximately 80% of the Army, Air Corps, and National Guard records. This is not the end of the research possibilities for these soldiers. Many alternative record sources exist to reconstruct service history for these branches. Regardless of service branch, many records exist to tell your soldier, sailor, or Marine’s story. Learn how to research the records of World War II for any branch of the military in this informative program.

This program will be held at the Glenview Public Library as part of the North Suburban Genealogical Society meeting.

© 2017 World War II Research and Writing Center

Changing the Discussion – Researching WWII Online

by Leave a Comment

World War II research is a combination of online and offline research, which allows us to tell a more complete story about a soldier, sailor, or Marine’s service. The most common thought from most people we encounter at the World War II Research and Writing Center, is that all the records and resources you need are all free and online.

We observe conversations on social media that insist all the records are available online and if they aren’t, you don’t need them. The same handful of websites are referred to again and again. People get stuck because the information isn’t online, they get frustrated, and often quit. Instead, why not consider working with a researcher (yes you will pay for this service) and using a variety of sources?

Why don’t we also change the discussion? What would it take for those die hard folks who insist it is all free and online to step back and see there are many ways to conduct research? And for the research community as a whole, why not recognize there are many more resources available than the ones commonly suggested, which are:

  • Ancestry.com
  • Fold3.com
  • FindAGrave
  • Any online newspaper website

Changing the Discussion

Did you know there are many more websites available where people can locate pieces of their soldier, sailor, or Marine’s service history? Each website you visit, each book you pick up, each record you analyze, each story you hear or photo you view that belongs to your family, adds a piece to the entire puzzle. Each piece allows you to view that soldier’s history in historical context. Only exploring the limited information online does not allow for the fuller picture to emerge. So where can we find more information that no one is talking about? Here are a few resources you may not have considered. Please note this is not an end-all-be-all list. Just some ideas to help you think outside the box of where to locate information. Please spend some time in the Research section of this website to find even more resources.

  • U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center
  • Pritzker Military Museum & Library.
  • Internet Archive
  • Library of Congress
  • FamilySearch. FamilySearch is a free genealogy website with a few military records. Most of the same ones you will find for free on Ancestry.com and Fold3.com. If you are looking for family information to attempt to locate living family members, FamilySearch is another resource to help your search.
  • WWII reunion groups. Are you Googling to see if there is a reunion group or association for your soldier, sailor, or Marine’s unit? These groups often have collections of records. Sometimes online but most often, offline with their historian.
  • University Library Special Collections. Search special collections in the cities and states where your soldier lived after the war.
  • Research libraries. There are research libraries around the country. Newberry Library in Chicago is one example. Are you searching within the collections of these institutions? Many have finding aids to help researchers locate information.
  • Genealogical and historical societies. Most towns, counties, and states have societies that hold some information. If not, the members of the organizations know where to refer researchers to for more information.
  • Local libraries. There are many small libraries around the country that do not have the staff or money to digitize their collections. Are you communicating with this resource? A visit to the Knightstown, Indiana library in December yielded a large collection of newspaper images for a project we have been working on. None of the Knightstown papers are online. They only exist in paper format, which is crumbling within bound volumes from the early 1900s to 1960s. The information contained in these newspapers is amazing. Contact the local libraries or a researcher nearby to do the legwork for you.
  • European and PTO researchers. Did you know there are many hobbyist researchers in Europe and the Pacific Theater who have amassed a large amount of information? Have interviewed countless veterans? Are writing books on specific units, battles, divisions, or theaters of war? Know the battlefields? Are you working with any of these people? If not, search Facebook and LinkedIn for them. We have found by collaborating with these researchers a lot can be shared back and forth, which expands the story of WWII.

Additional Resources

The above resources will hopefully start you thinking along a new path for research. Need more suggestions? Here are a few to keep pushing you forward with your research.

Books to help you learn how to research online and offline. Stories from the WWII Battlefield series.

Tips for Starting Your WWII Research

Educational articles for WWII research

WWII Research Guide

Do you have favorite websites or groups you contact for WWII research? Our readers would love to know about them. Please share in the comments.

© 2017 World War II Research and Writing Center

Passing Family Values to Our Children & Grandchildren

by Leave a Comment

This week we’ve explored stories, healing, wounds of war, and writing. Today we’d like to explore the values we have learned from our family and how those have shaped who we are and how we raise our children and grandchildren.

A value is defined as a noun in two ways.

  1. The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
  2. A person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life.

Whether we are raising children or teaching them in any capacity, what values are we passing along to them? Are we even discussing values anymore in this world that seems to have gone crazy? How can we use family stories or stories of war to educate and pass along values we feel are important, to our children or students? Are we keeping in mind that our judgment of how important a value is may not be as important to others? Are we free to pass along our experiences and values without forcing others to take them as their truth?

Tell a Story

Tell a story of war. Name some values within the story if possible. Most children are familiar with D-Day. Tell a story about D-Day and discuss the value COURAGE. How do they interpret this value in that story and how can they apply it to their lives? Where have they been courageous?

Tell a family story. Perhaps it is about how a family rebuilt their lives after losing everything in the Depression. Possible values are resilience, strength, and dedication. How do they interpret these values in that story and how can they apply it to their lives? Are there times when they have seen themselves as strong? Dedicated to something (learning a new sport or working hard at school, etc.)? There are so many ways stories can take us to pass along values.

Now switch it around. Tell a story and ask the children to identify values. Or have the children tell you a story a you identify the values.

Help Children Think & Use their Imagination

Rather than telling them what they should take away from the story, ask them to look at a list of values (or discuss specific values), that arose in the story. How do the children interpret the story and values? What do they feel is the most important part of the story? How can they apply it to their lives?

Consider having the children draw or paint a story. How can they apply the values they heard in your story in what they create?

A Story and Value Example

Joseph and Majdalena immigrated to the U.S. in October 1880, unmarried with a baby on the way. Like many other immigrants from Eastern Europe during that time period, Joseph and Majdalena chose to leave to give their family a better life. One filled with peace and opportunity rather than unending war and poverty. They settled in Chicago after their arrival and their first son Joseph was born in March 1881. Joseph and Majdalena had 11 children with 10 surviving into adulthood. They created a life in Chicago in which they bought a house, raised children, saw them all complete school through grade school. Sent four sons to the military in WWI, one, Michael fighting and dying overseas. They left a legacy of strength, resilience, courage, opportunity to grow and change, and many other things to their descendants.

Joseph and Majdalena were my great great grandparents. Having researched their large family and descendants for many years and exploring Michael’s military service, I learned a lot about not only the family but myself. Isn’t it amazing the values and the pain that are transferred through our DNA through the generations? How we can take on both the positive and negative aspects of our families? How we can use the values they transferred to create better lives for ourselves and our children?

Do my boys know these stories? Yes. Have they learned from them? Yes. Will they take the best of what all of us have created and create their own amazing futures? I hope so.

Want to Know More?

Are you interested in learning more about values? Here are a few lists we’ve found helpful and inspiring.

Core Value List by James Clear

Inspirational Values

Over 400 Values listed by Steve Pavlina

Are you writing stories about your family that dig deeper and include values? We’d love to hear about it. Please share with our readers in the comments.

© 2017 World War II Research and Writing Center

How Many Ways Can You Write A Story?

by Leave a Comment

Yesterday we published an article about writing the Stories of the Children and Grandchildren of War. Today we’d like to explore the numerous ways you can write one story.

One thing we tell people when they come to us for research or have questions about military service or family stories is, consider the perspective. Stories told by veterans or heard by family members that get passed down, often resemble little of what originally happened once the story is retold through the generations. Or are they accurate? Based on whose perspective? Is it possible two veterans can tell the same story of battle and those stories conflict with each other? Absolutely! We also have to consider what a person is going through when they tell us a story. Also consider their background and experiences, including all the judgments, conclusions, decision, points of view, perceptions, resistance, and other emotions a person feels. All of these things can shape the kind of story we tell or how we perceive what is being said. Confused? I’ll give you some examples.

Family Story: Joseph and Libbie have three boys between the ages of 12-8. It is 1943 and Joseph, age 37, chooses to enlist in the Navy. He is assigned to the Naval Armed Guard. Joseph serves from late 1943 to July 1945 when he is removed from his ship for medical treatment. Joseph is treated and discharged from the service. He lives at home for a couple of years and then due to his war wounds, spends the rest of his life in the VA Hospital. The family said he wasn’t himself mentally, because of the war.

Approaches to writing this story:

  1. A man of honor enlisting to serve his country. Duty. Sacrifice.
  2. An older man with a wife and three kids at home dealing with the strain of duty to country versus duty to family.
  3. Libbie as a single mom during and after the war.
  4. Joseph’s hardships of early life – mother died early. Dad died early and Joseph married a week later (to take guardianship over his two younger siblings?)
  5. Shame or condition after the war. Shame and guilt felt by Libbie that her husband was gone physically and mentally?
  6. Libbie raising sons without a male role model in the home. What strain did that put on her?
  7. Granddaughter hearing pieces of stories about her grandfather without anyone really telling the truth of what happened. Some stories, as many families find, are still too difficult 50+ years after they happened to discuss. There is a lot of shame, guilt, sadness, and other emotions at play.
  8. Service history – what did Joseph’s military service consist of? What happened on his ships? What happened in the ports? How might have the total of his service affected him?

Shaping the Story Based on Factors the Person Writing it is Experiencing

As we look at the eight examples of how this story could be written, how do we explain the different angles that could be explored based on the writer’s life, perceptions, judgments, experiences, points of view, and everything else that factors into being human?

Writing from the perspective of the granddaughter:

  1. She grew up hearing bits and pieces of stories, but never getting the full truth of circumstances during or after the war, she could assume her grandfather went crazy and her poor grandmother had to pick up all the pieces.
  2. The granddaughter who became a single mom herself, what similarities can be found between her grandmother’s story and life and her own? How can she use this to  see the grandmother and even herself in a new light? Perhaps one that is not so judgmental about whether she is doing a good job or not?
  3. What was her grandfather’s real diagnosis of his war wounds? Is there a way he could have been treated at home and lived a normal life after the war, surrounded by family and friends? How can what is known, heal the family?

Writing from the perspective of any family member:

  1. What shame, guilt, sadness, and other emotions were passed down through the family because the truth was hidden? How do those emotions affect the family today? How can we heal the past and move forward?
  2. What was Joseph’s military service? What did he experience in training, in port, on the ships? Were there any incidents or enemy engagements that would have caused his wounds? How can we explore that in historical context to better understand him and what was happening rather than judge him?
  3. Joseph’s early life had many hardships. His parents were immigrants. He grew up in a larger family without a lot of money. His mother died when he was a teenager leaving him, the oldest, with his father and four younger siblings. His father died when he was a bit older, during the Depression, leaving him responsible for two younger siblings. He married right away and soon after began his own family. How did this affect his life, mental state, Libbie, their children and how much of that strain and stress was passed through the DNA to their grandchildren and great grandchildren?

Writing the stories of war or the stories of our family, are not always easy and straightforward. Often we research our genealogy or the military service of someone and write a short, flat, unemotional biography and move on. What if our family members are calling for us to dig deeper and provide healing for them and us? For the world?

What stops us from digging deeper? Our own pain and memories? Speaking from experience I can say yes, that is part of it. However, when we dig deep and confront the ghosts of the past, great healing and peace can emerge. It isn’t easy or fun, but when done, new life experiences are possible.

Are you digging deeper into your family’s stories? Please share your experiences with our readers.

© World War II Research and Writing Center