Jennifer Holik

2017 Airborne Commemoration in Heteren, Netherlands

October 16, 2017 by Jennifer Holik 2 Comments

Band of Brother’s Re-Enactment Group Honor Guard

Last week I attended the Airborne Commemoration in Heteren, Netherlands. This was the second year I attended this commemoration. Heteren is near the area where the Airborne fought on the dikes after Operation Market Garden, in the area they call the “Island.” Many soldiers, including Bernard Tom, who I wrote about last week, fought and died on the dikes near Randwijk just up the road.

A few re-enactment groups attend the commemoration and act as Honor Guard, bringing in the colors and being present to witness the remembrance. My husband’s group, Band of Brothers in Belgium and the Netherlands provided the colors again this year. The re-enactors often arrive in their WWII vehicles and always dressed in period uniform.

One thing I appreciate about every commemoration I’ve attended here, is the fact that children are a part of each one. Students in school in the Netherlands are taught about WWII and the effects it had on the Netherlands. They learn about the sacrifice of our American soldiers and all Allied soldiers, and what that means for their freedom.

School children prepare short stories or poems, which are read during the commemoration. They also bring flowers and drawings to leave by the memorial. Wreaths and bouquets of flowers are brought forward by the children for individuals or groups who sponsor the flowers. They are laid on wreath holders or the monument itself.

The Last Post is played by bugler as the flag is lowered slightly by the honor guard. Then the Dutch and American National Anthems are played as the flags are raised on the flag pole – Dutch, Airborne, and American. Even though the entire ceremony is in Dutch, and I only pick up a few words here and there, it is a moving ceremony. Several soldiers were named from those who died on the dikes, including Bernie Tom.

Just before the end of the ceremony, doves are released, which is always a beautiful sight. A sign of peace and love and hope for the future. What would that be like? Peace……

Read last year’s article, Honoring Service – Engaging Children in WWII Research.

Should I Repatriate the Remains of My Son Bernie Tom?

October 13, 2017 by Jennifer Holik 2 Comments

Bernard Tom. Photo courtesy of the Tom family.

This week we are honoring Bernie Tom and the anniversary of his death with articles on some of the letters he wrote to his parents and explaining how the details can help researchers understand not only military service of an individual, but also who he was.

You can read the first article, Band of Brothers in Letters – Bernie Tom KIA 9 October 1944.
You can read the second article, Paratrooper Bernie Tom – Part 2.
Read the third article, Paratrooper Bernie Tom from D-Day to Death.
Read the fourth article, Bernie Tom’s Death and Burial.

The decision of whether or not to repatriate a soldier’s remains was a very personal one, which often involved many factors. These included, but are not limited to:

Soldier’s wishes (remain overseas where he fell with his buddies or be brought home)
Money (could a family afford to bury their son in a private cemetery after the government paid to return the remains? Not all families wished to have their son in a national cemetery, which may have been far away.) I recently wrote an article called, A Family’s Grief and the Cost of WWII Repatriation. A comment was made that money was never an issue as to why a soldier remained buried overseas. I beg to differ, as does the father in the article.
Wishes of the legal next of kin (NOK).
- There was a specific hierarchy during and after the war, as to who the official and legal NOK was. If a soldier was married, his unmarried widow was designated to choose. If she had remarried prior to the time in which the decision was to be made, and proof existed she remarried, it reverted to the soldier’s father. In some cases, and this is documented in IDPFs, there was arguing between the widow and family of the soldier as to where his remains should be. There are many reasons for this. I recently read a file for an airman who was KIA in the Pacific, whose widow remarried and the airman’s mother and sister obtained a certified copy of the marriage license, submitted it to the government and had the legal NOK changed. In another file, the widow remarried, did not notify the government and the soldier was permanently buried in North Africa. Somehow the family of the soldier proved after the permanent burial with the marriage license, that she remarried and was not the legal NOK, and the decision was reversed and he was repatriated. These IDPF files contain more than basic death information. It is worth your time to really study them.
- If the father was deceased, the next legal NOK was the mother. If both parents were deceased it moved through siblings unless there was some other official legal person named.
Concern over whether the grave would be tended to or just become overgrown and forgotten.
Concern over whether the people in Europe would care about our soldiers and honor their memories, or just move on with their lives and forget the sacrifice our boys made for them.

The reasons to repatriate or not in most cases, may never be known if the IDPF or service record does not have correspondence about this topic. To judge a decision or assume that because we have beautiful cemeteries overseas (now) and at home in the states, judging through our eyes and experiences today, does our soldiers an injustice. As a historian, we are taught to have no judgment but look at the information through the historical lens. We do not know all the factors that went into a decision (emotions, money, desire of soldier or family, etc.)

Bernie Tom’s father questioned whether or not to leave his son buried overseas. This is an undebateable fact as his IDPF has the letters to prove it. These are pages 82-88 in Bernie’s IDPF. Read Bernie’s 122 page IDPF. Mr. Tom asks:

How many families are bringing remains home?
Will the remains over there be cared for in the future as they have the last 3 years (length of time since Bernie died and option to repatriate.)
He comments on the fact several families in Holland have provided information, laid flowers, and taken an interest in the graves – but questions if that will end.
He states if the graves will be forgotten and go into ruin basically, he would prefer to have his son home. However, he says he thinks if the boys could talk, they would prefer to be where they fell.

As I read the letters in this IDPF, I can feel Bernie’s father’s pain, doubt, and sincere desire that his son never be forgotten.

Click on the images to enlarge.

In the end, the explanation from the government seemed to be enough to satisfy Mr. Tom’s questions. He chose to leave him in the land he helped liberate and fell. Bernie Tom rests at Margraten, where his grave was adopted. Not only did Johan adopt his grave, but also that of paratrooper Charles (Dave) Horn.

I, along with many others in Europe and America, honor Bernie’s memory, tell his story, and ensure he is never forgotten.

Would you like to know more about the job of Graves Registration who cared for our fallen and missing? Read FM 10-63 Graves Registration 1945.

Bernie Tom’s Death and Burial

October 12, 2017 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

You can read the first article, Band of Brothers in Letters – Bernie Tom KIA 9 October 1944.
You can read the second article, Paratrooper Bernie Tom – Part 2.
Read the third article, Paratrooper Bernie Tom from D-Day to Death.

Today I would like to explore some of the contents of Bernie Tom’s IDPF and make mention of Orel Lev’s IDPF. Orel died with Bernie and Kenneth Hull, whose IDPF I do not currently have. One interesting fact that is a bit in question is the death date of Orel and Bernie. Their Report of Burial forms say date of death 8 October 1944. They were both buried at 16:30 on 9 October 1944. Their Reports of Death provide a death date of 9 October 1944, as does Bernie’s grave. Kenneth was repatriated and buried in California. His Headstone Application shows a date of death of 9 October 1944.

According to the testimony and narrative, in Fighting Fox Company, about the artillery barrage at the position in which Hull, Tom, and Lev were, it is possible they died on the evening or overnight on the 8th. Graves Registration and the personnel who created the Report of Death, may have processed a lot of remains that day and did not pay close enough attention to the date of death on the Report of Burial form.

These are the “small” details we often overlook by just searching for the answer to one question as we investigate these records.

Bernie’s file contains many letters from Fred Tom (Bernie’s father) and the military. Fred also enlisted the help of his congressman to learn the location of Bernie’s grave and the details on “missing” personal effects. As many parents or widows of soldiers did, Fred wrote to the military inquiring about personal effects he believed or knew his son to have carried, that were not returned. Unfortunately, items were not always recovered by Graves Registration personnel. Sometimes items were pilfered or lost in the area in which the soldier died. Sometimes a soldier told a buddy to ‘take my watch or ring and send it home if I die.’ And as in the case of my cousin James Privoznik who was killed by a high explosive shell during the Battle of the Bulge, later buried in Luxembourg, it is likely any personal effects survived based on the description of his remains. Yet his mother was not told this. Families were not told many things after their loved one died. That is a post for another time.

Of all the IDPFs I’ve read, it is my observation that the men who inquired and pressed the military and government for answers, got them. Most of the men had one or all of the things required to get answers: education, money, or social connections. It seemed the men (and only one woman in a file I’ve read so far inquiring about her brother), who had one or all three of those things, would receive information above and beyond what the average family received. Women were less likely to press for information, or receive answers, if they did. Bernie’s father pressed and the military responded with great detail which you can read in his file.

Bernie’s file contains information on his burial temporarily in Molenhoek, his father’s decision to leave his remains overseas, and final interment papers for Margraten.

Tomorrow we’ll look at the decision Fred Tom made regarding where to permanently bury his son.

Read Bernie’s 122 page IDPF.

Read Orel Lev’s 44 page IDPF.

There are countless books available on the Airborne in World War II. Two specific books to help you learn more about Bernie’s service include the following.

Learn more about F Company in the book Fighting Fox Company by Terry Poyser and Bill Brown.
Learn more about Paratrooper training in the book The Making of a Paratrooper. Airborne Training and Combat in World War II by Kurt Gabel.

What details have you learned about your soldier through the IDPF? What discrepancies did you discover and how did you resolve them? Did your family press for answers? If so, did they get them?

Paratrooper Bernie Tom from D-Day to Death

October 11, 2017 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

You can read the first article, Band of Brothers in Letters – Bernie Tom KIA 9 October 1944.
You can read the second article, Paratrooper Bernie Tom – Part 2.

As we move through the final set of letters Bernie wrote to his parents, I’d like to point out a few things I learned about Bernie.

He has a great sense of humor. In one letter dated 1 June 1944, he tells his parents General Taylor is supposed to talk to the troops. He jokes he will make some time to talk business with the General to speed the end of the war. On 2 June he writes one final letter containing general chatter and then writes nothing until 16 June 1944.

He has a confidence and strength not seen in every young man. He seems to have a sense of what he is contributing to the world. Bernie has a plan for the future and sent a lot of money and war bonds home throughout his entire service.

The war was real before D-Day, but it is even more real after. Bernie discusses France in his 16 June 1944 letter saying people have it hard. They wear straw for socks and walk around in wooden shoes. Most are happy to see the Americans, but not all. He goes on to say, “The jump wasn’t bad but i was never more scared in my life…..” This is the first time he admits he has any fear.

Bernie did a good job overall in writing his letters. Almost nothing censored. One letter dated 20 June 1944 had several things blacked out, including the name of the fountain pen he was using, which seemed an odd thing to black out. He was sitting in a Red Cross Club in France as he wrote this letter and was likely using a pen they provided as he mentioned the Red Cross Club had writing desks, pens, and paper. That same letter had a sentence in which it appears he talked about killing Germans (Krauts) as those words make sense in the blacked out portions. Interesting those words would be blacked out when it was common knowledge the Americans were fighting the Germans. Bernie also mentions in this letter he had his first bath since they arrived in France on 6 June. His bath was out of a bucket. How often do we take bathing for granted?

Bernie’s letters are less frequent through the rest of June and contain general news about how he is and questions for his parents. He states several times he really knows nothing about how the war is progressing unless he sees a news bulletin. Often those are two to three days old. By 4 July 1944 he is still in France, hasn’t bathed for a month and comments on something his dad wrote in a letter saying he didn’t read anything about Bernie’s involvement in D-Day. Bernie responds the 506th may not have been mentioned in the papers but his Division was, though he couldn’t say which Division at that time. He did say he was one of the first to drop into France on D-Day.

Bernie takes great pride in the work he does for the war. On 5 July 1944 in his letter to his parents, he asks if they read anything about the fall of Carentan. He said, “The papers mention the Rangers took the town, but it was solely a paratrooper victory…..I know because I was there.” Later that month his unit returns to England to await the next jump.

Between late July and mid-September, Bernie’s letters are few and far between. The unit is training a lot and he mentions being tired and behind on writing letters. By this point he knows his brother Dana is overseas, but not exactly sure where. Unfortunately the two did not meet up prior to Bernie’s death.

His final letter home is dated 15 September 1944 and he asks about the family and mentions he rode into town in a 1938 Hudson, the largest car he’d seen in England. This is just prior to the jump into Holland.

If any of Bernie’s other letters exist, if he wrote any others prior to his death, they are not part of this collection.

Bernie Tom died on 9 October 1944 near The Crossroads.

Paratrooper Bernie Tom – Part 2

October 10, 2017 by Jennifer Holik 2 Comments

Bernie Tom after jumping into Holland September 1944.

This week marks the anniversary of PFC Bernie Tom’s death on 9 October 1944. After reading three binders of letters from him to his parents and friends, and some from his parents and friends to him, I chose to write a few articles to honor his life and service. Also to explain what we can learn about our soldiers through their words. You can read the first article, Band of Brothers in Letters – Bernie Tom KIA 9 October 1944.

All quotes are typed as Bernie wrote them, spelling and punctuation.

Bernie arrives overseas early in 1944, first landing in Ireland. the V-Mail to his parents for 19 February 1944 stated, “The Crossing was awful, especially for me. I was sick most of the time. Not so much sea sickness but it was the food. It was the worst I had ever left on my plate. I lost about 10 pounds all together.”

Can you imagine losing 10 pounds within a short period of time crossing the Atlantic? For most of these soldiers, this was their first time on a boat or a ship. I wonder what they were thinking, how they felt.

As the months of February and March 1944 go on, Bernie reports the food is better, he is better and that he will have a lot to tell his parents when he gets back. His letters provide a sense that he will return. In some of his letters, there is a sense of homesickness, as he describes thinking about his mother’s apple pie or playing football with his friends. He also seems to mention in most of his letters, that he received another letter from his parents dated x, and it took a month/2 weeks etc. to cross the ocean. In future months, Bernie reports the air mail is much faster than V-Mail and asks his parents to send air mail stamps.

Bernie often has to cancel dates with local girls because of last minute guard duty he is told to do. He mentions this often in his letters.

By April 1944, the unit has moved from Ireland to Scotland to England and by 10 April 1944 (exact date unknown until I do the research), Bernie has been assigned to F Co 506th PIR 101st Airborne.

His letter of 17 April 1944 stated he was in the field for a week and it rained the entire time. The men stayed in the same clothes all week as it rain fell and the mud got deeper. Seems they were being prepared for what was to come – fewer showers and changes of clothes.

Bernie writes his parents often and while he seems to write at least weekly, and often more when he knows he’s about to move, he apologizes for not writing enough. In his 1 May 1944 letter he ends with, “PS – I think your the swellest folks a guy could ever have. I love you both more than you’ll ever know.”

As the month of May progresses, Bernie writes more often to his parents, using V-Mail as the primary communication tool. He talks about a night jump he did where he was not injured. Mentions friends he received letters from and boys from Athens, OH, where he’s from that he runs into here and there. Thanks his parents for every box they send filled with cookies, candy, film, and other things Bernie requests. He always mentions how much the boys in the barracks enjoy the box as each time one receives a box, they all share.

Wouldn’t it be great if all of us stopped to appreciate these “small” things in life and stopped blowing up over the insignificant things? Every letter Bernie writes and mentions a box, is filled with gratitude. You can feel it. What would it be like if we all lived that way every day?

As May winds down, Bernie’s letters increase as he must know things will happen soon. He tells his parents more than once, not to worry if he doesn’t write for a while, he’s just out in the field. One very interesting thing he wrote on 23 May 1944 is a request for his parents to donate all his clothing, except the uniforms he sent home. He wants to buy all new clothes when he returns. The energy I picked up on this letter was strange – I couldn’t quite tell if he knew he would never return home or if his body had already changed so much from the food (or lack of) and training, that after the war, he would not be the same as he was before – in any aspect.

Finally, as D-Day approaches, Bernie sends off several more letters and mentions he has no idea what is happening with the war. The Athens Messenger newspaper he was receiving is at least a month old. The men are told almost nothing. So he is not able to respond if his parents mention something in their letters. Sadly all their letters do not exist in this collection. A few do, but not all.

What else can we learn about Bernie’s service from his letters? Well, he is about to jump into Normandy and there are more letters to read.

Band of Brothers in Letters – Bernie Tom KIA 9 Oct 44 Part 1

October 9, 2017 by Jennifer Holik 3 Comments

Today we remember PFC Bernard (Bernie) Tom of F Company 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne, who was Killed In Action on the dike between Randwijk and Heteren, Netherlands, near the Crossroads. If you know where Dukeman was killed and turn around, that is where F Company also fought.

A grave adopter adopted Bernie’s grave at Margraten (Netherlands American Cemetery). Several years ago he connected with one of Bernie’s nephews and niece in-law, who gave Johan a collection of photographs, documents, and over 100 letters Bernie wrote just prior to joining the Army until just before his death. These letters have never been published.

I started reading these letters and after reading 39, I have a better idea of who Bernie was as a man and soldier. I know about people in his family and town. I am able to document much of his service history that may have been in his OMPF (it did not survive the fire). I’m also learning a lot about the training itself. This is the first article about the contents of Bernie’s letters and what we can all learn by reading wartime letters.

Bernie’s OMPF (service file) burned. Only seven pages remain which contain letters and requests for information written by relatives in the 1980s. The information provided in this article is only the tip of the iceberg. My target is to help readers understand the depth of information you can find in these family letters.

The letters begin on 3 November 1942, when Bernie is living in Akron, Ohio, having left Athens, OH for work. His letter mentions he took his exams for the “Navy and the Air Corps.” He wished to fly planes, based on the information in his letters.

Once Bernie is in the military, much of the paper he uses to write letters is on camp letterhead or some really cool Paratrooper letterhead. His letters are primarily written with fountain pens in ink colors of red, black, and various shades of blue, though a few are in pencil.

He enlisted in the Army on 1 February 1943 and went to Camp Taccoa to join the Airborne. He did not initially make the cut due to low blood pressure. By the end of the month, he was transferred to Fort Jackson, SC and assigned to H Co 328th Infantry Regiment 26th Infantry Division. In his letter to his parents, he said, “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry, but Camp Toccoa was a hole. I mean it was awful but this place is O.K. good food barracks and such.”

Using the envelopes that are with each letter, I am able to establish a timeline of his service history because some of his letters only say “Saturday evening”. The envelopes are important because not only do they have the date they were posted but also from where. Without the envelopes, I would not have known he spent a lot of time at Camp Mackall. It is so important if you have envelopes with the letters to keep them with the letters!

I can document the units and training camps Bernie was in until the point he officially entered the 101st Airborne. Bernie mentions as he is transferred from one unit to another (and camp to another) his service records are “lost” and it takes a long time for them to make their way to his current location. This caused him some issues with rank and pay while waiting for his records to show up.

Many of his letters mention family members, including his brother who is in the Army Air Forces. He mentions many of the friends from Athens, Ohio, he knew. This information is especially important for anyone writing about wartime in Athens, Ohio. It was a small town and using letters from soldiers, may provide information about the whereabouts and service of the young men who left to fight.

Bernie appeared to have a strong work ethic and sense of adventure young men often have. Prior to joining the Airborne, he volunteers to take a swimming instructor course, in which he stated, “It’s a 50 hr course on [i] time. One class i 4 hr. long every afternoon. During this course I’ll swim through burning oil, and with a full field pack. It’s very interesting work.” In the same letter he talks about a Ranger course he took. “One time I crawled 75 yds under machine gun fire dodging blasts of T.N.T. also I had to craw under 30 ft of barbed wire entanglements. We also did many other interesting things such as, a booby trap course, T.N.T. course, and ect.” (All misspellings are his.)

He documents some, but not all of his jumps, with details about each one. Using the letter dates, I can tell you what dates he jumped. His letters indicate the day he received his jump boots. I learned more about his paratrooper training and when he is transferred after training to a replacement depot and heads overseas. Bernie was not officially in an Airborne unit until early 1944 when he is overseas.

There is so much information in these letters, it would take a book to explain it all. I hope this first article gives you an idea of who Bernie was, a little about his service, and the depth of information you can find in these letters.

Thank you Bernie for your service. We will keep you memory alive.

Does your family have letters from your soldier? Are the envelopes in which they came still with the letters? What information can you learn about your soldier’s service history, his family, and life from these documents?

Experiences in Healing the Past

October 4, 2017 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

So many names. So many stories. So much pain.

More than 20 years ago I began researching my family’s history after I had a project in a history class in college. After hearing a few stories, digging into some records, and attending a couple of Czech Genealogy Society conference in Chicago (and being the youngest person in attendance), I was hooked. Years passed and life happened and then the time came to fulfill a dream I’d had since that course – to have my own genealogy business. Seven years ago I started that business. Interestingly, the genealogy clients and work only lasted about three years. The universe and my ancestors had other plans for me. To explore World War I and World War II research. Little did I know when I began that journey, that it would lead me to sad, dark places.

Since I started researching my family’s involvement in both World Wars, a lot has happened. Genealogy, for me, was never exhausting and emotionally draining, sad, and depressing. Military research though, for me, has a tendency to be so. I realized this happens in part because I’m constantly channeling soldiers and other people connected to not only the World Wars but in all time, dimension, and reality. I’m also healing myself and I apparently agreed to heal my ancestors and children, and all these souls and entities who show up, in the process. Though over the last year I have learned how to not be consumed by this.

Explaining the healing part of my life and work has not always been easy. Having an awareness of the peace, answers, and forgiveness the dead seek, in part through me, often leaves me sad, confused, and determined to share the knowledge I have with the world. How do you explain the generational trauma that you were never fully aware of most of your life? How do you explain the sadness that arises through research or the feeling of coming home, to a place you’ve never been in this life?

I’ve learned I’m not the only person working to heal themselves and the past, to contribute to a better future. Several people have entered my world in the last two years, who focus on healing through their own businesses and projects.

Today I was in the Holocaust Educator’s group on Facebook and read the article by a woman named Donna, who is about to embark on her second trip to Poland. She so beautifully explained in her article why she was returning to the place of her ancestors, it brought tears to my eyes and chills to my body. Then I visited her website, Healing From War, and read more, particularly her article called, “Let the Healing Begin!” from 2016, when she made her first trip to Poland.

As I read her article, I felt a connection because it seems as if she channels her family members too. Hearing their voices and things that float through her mind like the song she mentions, that she would not have experienced in this life. How much of her family’s trauma does she carry? How much is she able to heal, not only for herself but all who came before her?

The sense of going home really struck a nerve with me too. I don’t often hear people express this.

I’ve felt that in many places in Europe. The first time being in April 2015 when I visited my first ABMC cemetery – Normandy. It was probably good that was my first and not Luxembourg, where my cousin is buried. That cemetery was to be visited at the end of that trip, where I made arrangements to fly his burial flag from 1949.

When I arrived at Normandy Cemetery, the tears began to flow and increased as I moved through the visitor’s center. In fact, I couldn’t even “enjoy” the visitor’s center and really read through everything because it was too painful. Too many voices, too many souls vying for attention, waiting to be heard. The tears continued to flow until I climbed the steps to enter the cemetery itself.

Then peace. No more tears.

I heard, “We’re so happy you finally came home!” as thousands of voices cheered.

There were other places I’ve experienced that in Europe, connected to significant places and also visiting places my family members fought and died, and soldier’s I’ve researched. Sometimes those places were connected to past lives, the details of which may not have been known, but felt.

For a long time I felt mostly alone in the processing of all this until a few people entered my life to help me learn techniques to heal myself and the past. And new people and new techniques continue to show up. I’m so grateful.

How many of my readers are moving through the process of healing themselves and the past? Did you know you’re not alone? I’d love to hear from you and know about your website if you are writing about your experiences of healing the past and the war. By sharing these stories, we can contribute to a much different future than we can imagine.

A Family’s Grief & the Cost of WWII Repatriation

October 3, 2017 by Jennifer Holik 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!

Military Researchers, Are You Paying Attention to the Details?

October 2, 2017 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

Graves Registration Identification in WWII

I wrote the first article in a new series to provide answers and healing for families of WWII war dead, called, Demanding Answers About WWII War Dead. In this article I explained I was reading a 361 page Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for a Jewish WWII soldier named Harvey.

361 pages, in this instance, is a lot of information. Often in the larger IDPFs, there are multiple copies of documents. Or as in the case of some, like Glen Miller’s, it is over 600 pages because each time it was requested by an author, historian, or other person, it was copied and that copy was included in the overall file.

In this 361 page document, there are some duplicate copies of documents, but overall, the pages contain different information. After reading through it, I have a few options to organize all the documents and my thoughts about the file contents in preparation to pull pieces out and create mini PDFs to share in the articles.

I can print it and arrange the pages chronologically (I’ll likely do this).
Create a timeline of service/events based on the documents.
Create a list of documents with the PDF page number, which stand out and require explanation.

Digesting 361 pages of information and all the “small” details contained in the letters is quite a task. George, Harvey’s father, is every historian’s dream because he cites his sources so to speak. He documents in most letters, the response letter with date from the military, which allows readers to refer to each letter. Can you do this by putting the documents into chronological order? Yes. But just viewing the PDF of the 361 pages, or writing a history of Harvey’s death, requires this level of detail created by his father.

George picks up on details most of us ignore as we view these files. In his letters, he questions EVERYTHING. The details offer us a glimpse into the IDPF we might otherwise ignore and offers a great teaching opportunity. For example, on the Inventory of Personal Effects Document it says at the top and bottom

R E S T R I C T E D

George questions this word at the bottom of the form as it appears to have been typed after the words: Any additional pertinent information: [with a space for that below.] Yet he seems to miss the word RESTRICTED at the top of the form typed exactly the same way. This means the form is restricted and not to be distributed to everyone.

This may seem like an inconsequential detail, but to a man who was seeking every scrap of evidence he could get about the death, burial, length of time to receive information, personal effects, and burial details for his son, this one word represented something of great importance.

Are you looking at these seemingly inconsequential details in all your military records? Are you paying attention to the smaller details or just looking to answer one or two questions and overlooking the rest? We all do it, focus on one thing and miss other details that could move our research forward or answer other questions we have. What have you found in your records?

Demanding Answers About WWII War Dead

October 1, 2017 by Jennifer Holik Leave a Comment

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.

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