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Military Memories Writing Prompt Day 4

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Ridgeway Avenue, Chicago Americans 1944

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 4: The Home Front

Women were primarily expected to run the household, yet some worked in war factories or joined the military. Write about women’s roles during a war. Did your grandmother work as a Rosie the Riveter? Did she work outside the home in another capacity?

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

New Book Available – World War I Genealogy Research Guide

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Debra Dudek has released a new book helping genealogists trace their American and Canadian World War I service members, World War I Genealogy Research Guide: Tracing American Military and Non-Combatant Ancestors Includes a Guide to Canadian Military Research. In this short guide, she provides many resources that genealogists often hear bits and pieces about in conference lectures. The book not only lists these resources but contains detailed descriptions on each and exactly where to locate the records. Debra combines everything together in one place in an easy to understand fashion.

The book is written from the perspective that researchers will primarily do online research and visit the National Archives repositories where vital military records are held. The tips provided on most records will help those who choose to visit the repositories in a much clearer way than what you can find on the NARA websites.

Chapters include:

Before You Begin

This chapter outlines several things you may encounter as you start your research.

Research Goals & an Introduction to Online Research

Through six specific goals, Debra walks you through the process of moving from family story or a little information to obtaining records both online and offline. The repositories and types of records described are not only the commonly used genealogical records but possibly “unknown” military records. She also provides information on how to search for digitized records and digitized books. The end of this chapter states the book contains a Research List, which was not in the Kindle version. The Research list is also available on her website but there was no link provided.

State Specific Collections & Resources

This is a lengthy chapter containing a lot of website links and Ancestry.com record sets and databases. Those who purchase the Kindle version of this book will have an easier time using the website links. As with any online database like Ancestry or Fold3, check their website regularly for new databases.

Note: Always download any records you find online as website rules and access changes. Never assume that a record you view today will still be available online tomorrow.

Examining Essential Records at the National Archives

Several vital military records are described in this chapter at not only the NPRC but National Archives in D.C. branch, Library of Congress, and state repositories. Have you explored all your options when searching for World War I American records? You might be surprised at what you find at the state level. Debra also includes some military specific Chicago institutions like the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and the First Division Museum.

Note: While your soldier may not have served in the 1st Infantry Division, you should search for unit reunion associations to see what records they have. Many World War II reunion groups often have roots in World War I and the association will often have records. Google Search for your unit and see what exists. If you find a website but no digitized records, contact the president or historian as most associations have records but not the tech know-how or funds to digitize everything.

Naturalization and Enemy Alien Records

Genealogists often look for Naturalization records to prove citizenship of their immigrant ancestor, but did you know many immigrants were naturalized as a result of their military service? This chapter discusses both the positive and negative side of being an alien (non-naturalized person living in the U.S.), in America during World War I and what records exist. Several repositories with contact information and websites are provided to guide you. Again, having the Kindle version of the book will be helpful.

Non-Military Women’s World War I Records

Women participated in World War I on the home front and in Europe. Are you aware of all the records available to find their stories? Debra outlines many ways to search for women’s participation during the war years. Numerous websites are included in this chapter.

Short Guide to Canadian Military World War I Records

I felt like this chapter was a bit out of place in a book primarily focused on American research. Will Debra release a book all about Canadian research? While I do not get many questions about British forces for World War I, I think that book is needed. It is another topic you see at genealogy conferences but nothing in-depth seems to be available. From what I know of Debra’s research the last few years, she is just the person to write it.

One thing I wish was mentioned is about records access at the NPRC. There are many researchers who will not visit the NPRC and there is no mention of records the NPRC will not research for you if you are unable to visit, which are not digitized. There are many, such as Morning Reports, Monthly Reports, etc., for both World War I and II that you must obtain yourself in person or hire a researcher. NPRC will send you enough to show your soldier served, but will not do in-depth research, especially if the OMPF (Official Military Personnel File) burned.

Book available in Paperback and Kindle versions.

Disclaimer: Debra gave me a free copy of her e-book to review. The links included in this review are my affiliate links and I make a small royalty off the sale. This does not affect the price you pay to purchase the books.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center

Military Memories Writing Prompt Day 3

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

Prompt 3: Community Impact

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

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

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

Military Memories Writing Prompt Day 2

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99th Division mass in snow

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 2: Overseas Service

Was your ancestor shipped overseas? To which theater(s) of war? When did they leave and when did they return?

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

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

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