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Individual Deceased Personnel File

Online Course – Exploring the Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF)

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Did you know that every service member, regardless of military branch, who died or was considered Missing In Action (MIA) during WWII had a death file created for them? It is called the Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF). This file was used also for Korea and Vietnam. A similar file exists for WWI called the Burial File.

This file documents how a service member died or went missing. Often contains handwritten letters from family. Sometimes the Navy and Marine Corps files contain a photo of the service member. Some service details may be included and temporary and permanent burial data. Plus – you never know what else you will find in these files – adoption records, mental hospital records, or the military and government covering their butt to answer every question possible asked by a father. This is a vital file if you lost a family member during these wars.

Are you ready to take a deep dive into the Individual Deceased Personnel File? I have an online class with six modules that runs for 10 weeks, with over 25 downloads and a tremendous amount of information to help you piece together your service member’s story.

Learn more on our WWII Education website for the course Finding the Answers In the IDPF. Now with two payment options for the course.

Can I help you with your research?

Are you ready to learn the bigger picture of your family member’s military service? Email us at info@wwiirwc.com to set up your free phone consultation today to discuss project options, fees, and time. You can also sign-up for our free newsletter and receive the Start Writing Your Military Story Today free!

© 2019 World War II Research and Writing Center

Important News on How We Provide WWII Education

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Evaluating our business over the last decade, especially the last six years in which we have provided a tremendous amount of WWI and WWII educational materials, we have decided to change how and where we provide education for military research. Our focus has also shifted in how we help clients with research, processing what is discovered, and writing. While we still provide the highest quality military research available, your options for education now change. What does this mean for you?

WWII Research & Writing Center Website

On this website, the Educational Articles and Videos will remain. We will continue to add articles that help you dig deep into your family and military history. All of our research books will remain and we will continue to update them as records access changes.

Other resources have been moved or removed permanently.

WWII Education Website

This is our online course and webinar website. There are several online military research classes available. Several recorded webinars are available for purchase and we are constantly holding live webinars, for which you can register.

This website also has a blog which we will be expanding to add more educational materials, information, and resources.

We currently have plans to include a membership area where paid subscribers can access articles, files, resources, webinars, and virtual conferences.

Please make sure you opt-in for our marketing emails which are only occasionally sent so you know about special discounts for our programs.

WWII Research & Writing Center Facebook Page

Our Facebook Page will also be changing and we will no longer be providing a lot of military related articles we find. Articles that have a lot of value will be shared either through blog posts or the FB Group. We will be focusing more on what our business provides, upcoming live and online speaking engagements, travel information, and other things.

WWII Education Facebook Group

Our WWII Education Facebook Group is a closed group. This means you must request membership and questions must be answered when you apply. We check all profiles and do not admit anyone who appears to have a fake profile. In our group we share research files, research problems and solutions, have Facebook Lives from time to time, ask deeper questions and discuss issues related to all 20th century wars. Our group is international which provides many different points of view and experiences with research and writing.

WWII Education Newsletter Subscription

Join our newsletter list and receive the 5 Steps to Starting WWII Research free and stay up to date on research information and resources, programs, and more!

Finding the Answers Journey Website

Last year we launched our Finding the Answers Journey website and Facebook Page.

Finding the Answers Journey allows us to go deeper into the family history, military history, and discovery of self as we explore all these areas. Military or family history research does not come without impact on the researcher or the family when the information is disseminated. Many of our clients experience life changing events through the research journey when we explain what is discovered and what really happened. Many clients begin to question who their veteran was, and even who they are, now that they know this information. Through this side of our business, we plan to offer facilitation, coaching, writing help, live and online programs and workshops focusing on moving deeper into the history.

We also offer resources, workshops, books, and more on energetically creating your life. These are mostly in development, but we have started offering caregiver resources in the form of a Caregiver Journal and free workshop available in our Store. We have a free member’s area which provides some writing resources along with videos on creating your life and making new choices. All of this will be expanded this year.

Finding the Answers Journey Newsletter

You also have the option to join our Finding the Answers Journey newsletter, which we send out about once a month with information on writing, asking deeper questions, caregiving, and other resources to help you tell your stories.

Everything changes……..

Our business has transformed multiple times over the last decade and will continue to do so. We believe it is critical that we help clients and the world question what is “known” and go deeper into ourselves, family and military history, to better understand the past. When we do this, and question everything, we can create a different reality and life, and perhaps……stop repeating the destructive past.

We would love to help you research your family’s military history for WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam or help you write your stories. Please contact us to schedule your free phone consultation to discuss options.

© 2019 World War II Research & Writing Center

 

 

Are you Preparing to Travel in your WWII Soldier’s Footsteps?

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Have you walked in the footsteps of your WWI or WWII service member in Europe? I have and the experience changed my life. It brought people, places, and experiences into my life from the start of the trip almost four years ago through to today.

Did you know there is a process to research and planning for such a trip? Would you like to learn strategies and tools to help you save time and money? Join me for this two-part workshop in April where I will explain what’s required before you travel. Then we will talk with several panelists about their experiences and tips they have to help future travelers.

Workshop Description

Traveling to Europe to walk in your WWII service member’s footsteps is a life changing experience. Did you know there is a correct way to prepare for this journey? In this workshop you will learn:

Part 1: Preparing for the Journey (April 1, 2019 at 7:00 pm CST)

  1. Learn the steps required to research prior to your trip. Explore how this saves your time & money.
  2. Explore research possibilities.
  3. Learn how to put context to your research.
  4. Learn tips and tricks to planning your travel.
  5. Explore how to document your journey.
  6. Explore next steps when you return home.

Part 2: Panelist Discussion (April 6, 2019, at 12:00 pm CST)

We will have several panelists discussing with Jennifer tips for planning travel, how to connect with European researchers, and make the most of your experience.

Panelists:

  • Terri O’Connell of Cruise Planners.
  • Phil Rosenkrantz. Researcher, Writer & Traveler.
  • A couple more to be named….

After you purchase the live webinar, you will be given access to the product “Walking In Their Footsteps April 2019 Webinar” in your Library on the WWII Education website. The replays will be placed there when they are ready. There is no time limit to watch the replays.

There is a $29.95 fee for this two-part webinar series. You can watch the invitation video and register here.

© 2019 World War II Research & Writing Center

Navigating Military Records on Fold3

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Are you ready to dive into military research on Fold3 or have you explored it and come up almost empty with good results? Did you know there is a strategy to find the gold within those databases?

Join me for the second WWII Online program this winter, with my webinar, Navigating Military Records on Fold3.

Program Description

One place many people begin research for their World War II service member is online.

While most of the records you need to reconstruct service history are not available online, you can find clues and unit or contextual information to add to your soldier’s story.

In this workshop I will show you different tools and strategies to help you dive deeper into Fold3 to discover military records for your service members. Some examples will be given through screen shots and others will be live using Fold3.

While this workshop is WWII focused, everything taught will apply to WWI, Korea, and Vietnam.

Register for this workshop.

© 2019 World War II Research & Writing Center

Webinar – Stories of the Lost

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Register today!

Check out all our WWII webinars and online courses on our WWII Education Website. Looking for writing resources, caregiving resources, webinars and classes to help you move deeper into your family or military research? Visit us at Finding the Answers Journey to learn more!

© 2019 World War II Research & Writing Center

Webinar – Researching WWII Online 9 February 2019

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Register today! Space is limited.

Check out all our WWII webinars and online courses on our WWII Education Website. Looking for writing resources, caregiving resources, webinars and classes to help you move deeper into your family or military research? Visit us at Finding the Answers Journey to learn more!

© 2019 World War II Research & Writing Center

 

Webinar: Finding the Answers: WWII Research Online

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Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. CST (17:00 Amsterdam time)

Webinar: Finding the Answers: WWII Research Online

Registration fee $19.95 fee for this webinar. Click to register for the webinar. A replay will be available for three days after the webinar.

One place many people begin research for their World War II service member is online. While most of the records you need to reconstruct service history are not available online, you can find clues and unit or contextual information to add to your soldier’s story. Tools and strategies taught in this course will apply to WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam military research.

In this program, Jennifer will:

  • Explain some myths and common questions about online research.
  • Explain how to research using the collections on Ancestry.com and Fold3.com.
  • Discuss other places you can find information online and how that can lead to offline resources.
  • Explain where and how to connect with other researchers or European grave adopters.
  • Discuss using social media to locate information.

The tips you learn in this program will help you with any digitized record set.

© 2019 WWII Research & Writing Center

Webinar Saturday January 12, 2019 – Finishing the Story

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Webinar: Finishing the Story. Combining Genealogy and Military Research to Write the Story

Saturday, January 12, 2019

11:00 a.m. CST/12:00 p.m. EST

Registration fee $19.95. Click to register for the webinar.

Tracing the life of a World War I or II soldier can be challenging. Researchers have been conditioned to believe “All the Records Burned!” Some did, but an abundance of other resources exist to reconstruct service history. Many researchers are unaware of the numerous military records and resources available.

In this program, explore the lives, service, and deaths of Michael Kokoska, Frank Winkler, and Robert Brouk. Genealogical, historical, and military records will be shown and discussed. Jennifer will demonstrate how to write the stories of your soldier through a brief reading from her books Stories of the Lost and The Tiger’s Widow.

In this engaging and informative presentation, Jennifer shares:

A trip through time, exploring the lives of three men.

  • Moving stories about each man’s life and death.
  • Numerous resources search for military records to reconstruct service history.
  • Tips on weaving military, genealogical, and historical records together.
  • Examples of how a military story can be written.

© 2019 WWII Research & Writing Center