I learned this morning that Reclaim the Records won a lawsuit to provide access to the BIRLS records for our veterans. Their new BIRLS website allows you to search and submit a FOIA request for the C-File (Veterans Claims File).
From their website:
The Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) database was originally created and maintained by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA). It provides an index to basic biographical information on more than 18 million deceased American veterans who received some sort of veterans benefits in their lifetime, including health care, disability or life insurance policies, educational benefits (the GI Bill), mortgage assistance (VA loans), and more. The BIRLS database includes people who served in all branches of the US military, including some branches that no longer exist, such as the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) and the Army Air Corps, as well as a few associated non-military groups and government agencies, such as NOAA. It even includes files for some non-US nationals, including veterans of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Scouts and Guerillas, who served prior to and during the Second World War.
When you prepare the forms to submit the FOIA request, there are many bullet points to read to make sure you understand the type of data you may receive. This may include mental health, sexual health, sensitive medical information, and other details. The form ends with you, the requestor, needing to acknowledge by checking a box that you understand the following:
You, the FOIA requester, therefore understand that these files might contain all sorts of information which might be considered sensitive, objectionable, upsetting, disparaging, invasive, or otherwise cause you or the veteran’s family members or heirs distress. If you are not okay with the possibility of learning this kind of information, then you should not make a FOIA request for this kind of file, and you should hit the cancel button now.
Once the request is submitted they send you an email with further information. It will likely take 6-8 weeks for the VA to even respond. There is also information provided throughout the process on what to do if you get an overly redacted file or they say they have nothing.
When we understand through the research, our veteran’s service experience and the VA File, their medical and mental health treatment, we may find more empathy or compassion for those who served. Let’s hope this provides families with more answers so we can begin to tell the stories, preserve the memories, learn lessons, and heal our families and ourselves.
If you would like to start a research project, email me at info@wiirwc.com and let’s set up a free phone consult to discuss your project.
A few days ago I went to a Documentary Screening at Cantigny where the First Division Museum is, in Winfield, Illinois. The documentary was called Waiting to Explode.
There were three panelists and a man running the event. I didn’t catch his name but the panelists were:
Journalist Jessica Pearce Rotondi, Board member of Legacies of War and author of What We Inherit: A Secret War and a Family’s Search for Answers.
Jim Harris of We Help War Victims.
Yosh Yamanaka, of UXO Clearance Laos, the film’s producer.
Now, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the Shadow/Secret War in Laos during the Vietnam War. This was not something I knew about or understood the severity of until I attended this event. I also bought Jessica’s book before the event, because I wanted to learn about inherited trauma through this lens. My focus has normally been WWI-WWII as far as trauma research, so I hoped she would talk a little about that in the Q&A after the screening. She did not. The film is being shown at various locations but is not widely available on television or streaming services, although that is a hope for the panelists.
The film was interesting, informative, and quite sad. I sat there questioning again WHY all the endless wars and endless suffering. Suffering that has never ended after almost 50 years because there is so much unexploded ordnance in Laos. Google Cluster Bombs to learn more about this ordnance scattered all over the country. I didn’t know these types of bombs existed until I saw this film. I again pondered how many ways can we kill a man?
Several stories were told about people affected by the ordnance and how their families were forever changed because of U.S. involvement. This, like so many other pieces of history should be known, but I was not impressed with how the Q&A went or the views of the panelists. Their energy was so strong I left with a massive headache after the hour-long Q&A which seemed to not want to end so others could watch the 3 p.m. screening.
The man running the event and the men on the panel went into a shame the veterans energy. They spoke of how they argued with Cantigny staff to host the film ON Veterans Day instead of the day after. The presenters felt veterans needed to know what they had done. They also expected a higher turnout for the screening on Veterans Day than on Saturday. I don’t know how many people visited Cantigny during the day of Veterans Day but for the evening ceremony, if there were 50 of us in attendance I’d be surprised.
The presenters also seemed to be a little scattered and I’m going to wager a guess, never served in the military.
I don’t personally feel we need to blame veterans for things they participate in during their time in service. They were following orders, which I realize is not an excuse for damage done, however, that’s how the system runs. Accountability and change has to begin at the top on more of a collective energetic level. On an individual level, each person who participated in a war or bombardment has to also make peace within themselves about their actions. This is not for us to judge – especially if we have never served – we were not there.
I left with a lot of emotions and thoughts about the film, the panelists and presenter, and how individuals just following orders created massive collective trauma. Trauma that continues today. I have a lot of questions now and no answers. The only thing I know is I left with a bad taste in my mouth about the veteran shaming energy.
Have you seen the movie or read Jessica’s book? I’d love to know your thoughts on both.
I was chatting with a genealogy colleague the other day and she mentioned a gentleman who attended one of her programs was upset because he looked for his veteran father in the National Cemetery Administration (Veterans Administration Cemetery Database) and he was not found. In his mind, because his father was a veteran, he should have been in this database. What he did not know or perhaps understand was, only those buried in a National Veteran Cemetery are listed in that database. Once this was explained by my colleague, the gentleman calmed down understood. But this scenario brings up a good point about veteran burials so let’s dive in.
First of all, you want to obtain a copy of the WWI Burial File at NPRC in St. Louis or the IDPF. Read my article on how to access the IDPF as access has changed a lot the last several years.
Where is your veteran physically buried?
Physical burial is not the same as a memorial stone or name on a Wall or Tablet of the Missing. A lot of people who use FindAGrave often miss this detail, or if they are created a memorial, do not always specifically state the memorial is for a memorial grave. A memorial grave means the remains are not physically in that space, but there is a stone so the individual is remembered and honored. Be sure to record this information correctly.
American Battle Monuments Commission Overseas Cemetery.
During World War I and World War II, those who died or were Killed In Action overseas were first buried near where they fell. Then after both wars, the government established permanent military cemeteries for families who chose to have the remains of their family member’s buried overseas or repatriated to the U.S. for burial at home. The American Battle Monuments Commission tends to these sacred overseas grounds. They also maintain the Tablets or Walls of the Missing, for those who are still unaccounted for since the war. You can search for information on a family member buried overseas on their website. Please be aware, if your service member was brought home, they will not be in this database.
It should also be noted, I have read IDPF (death files) that indicate some families chose to leave the remains of their loved one in a European Civilian or Church cemetery OR be transferred for burial to another country. I have read a few Italian surname files where the American family chose to have the remains of their son transferred to the town where the family came from in Italy, for burial. I have also seen in rare cases, the family pushes to have the remains left where they are in a European civilian cemetery knowing the grave may not be maintained to the standards of ABMC. These individuals will not be included in the ABMC database.
Remains were permanently interred overseas for a variety of reasons but the most common were:
The service member told family he or she preferred to be buried with their brothers or sisters in service where they fell.
Money. Some families could not afford the burial expenses in a private, church or civilian cemetery even though the government paid expenses to return the remains to the U.S. You can read more about this (and download the IDPF) in my article, A Family’s Grief & the Cost of WWII Repatriation.
The widow, or she had remarried, legal next of-kin (father, mother, etc.) may have chosen to leave the remains overseas as it was easier. Many widows who had not remarried and were still legal next of-kin also chose to leave their former husbands overesas. In some ways, this may have helped with grief and a new marriage, often to a veteran. Then the war hero who gave the ultimate sacrifice was “out of sight and out of mind” for the new husband. May sound harsh but rings true for some widows.
Veterans Administration National Cemetery.
In this cemetery you will discover the graves of individuals and group burials (think airmen whose remains could not be identified separately due to the way they died), buried in the National Cemeteries. Not all veterans were buried in these cemeteries, whether Arlington National or a state National Cemetery. If your veteran was not buried in a National Cemetery, they will not appear in that database linked above.
Local church or civilian cemetery.
There are countless civilian and church cemeteries across the country in which you might find veterans buried. Some are easy to spot because they have a military issued grave marker, whether standing stone or flat marker. There are also veterans buried or cremated in these cemeteries which have no military marker so you may walk right past them not knowing they served.
There are also non-military issued stones or monuments that have military service information on them. My great grand uncle Michael Kokoska’s grave is one example. His family chose to have a monument with a soldier standing guard on top and a photo of him in uniform with his unit and death information.
You will not find these veterans in a National Cemetery or ABMC database either. You may find them on one of the grave recording sites like BillionGraves or FindAGrave or with the cemetery records. Perhaps the cemetery has been indexed and that is online.
The Missing & Memorial Stones
From World War I to Vietnam we still have thousands of service members who are unaccounted, meaning still Missing In Action (MIA). You will find their names on the ABMC Tablets or Walls of the Missing for World War I and World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Some families also chose to place a memorial stone in their family cemetery plot. Normally they have the words In Memory of or In Memoriam. This indicates there are no physical remains there, just a stone. When you record this information in your family tree database or online, be sure to make a notation if the “grave” you record is a physical grave or a memorial grave. The same applies if the remains are finally recovered and identified and buried permanently in a Veterans Cemetery or the family cemetery. Make sure the information is accurately recorded.
Did My Veteran Have a Military Issued Marker?
If your veteran is buried in a church or civilian cemetery and you do not find a photo of their grave online and cannot visit, you can check the Ancestry database US, Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970, to see if a military marker was issued. Be aware, the government did not always accurately verify what a family member wrote on this form, especially about the unit. My cousin Frank Winkler’s application stated he was in the 129th Infantry (Regiment) of the 29th Division. This is incorrect as the 129th Infantry Regiment was not part of the 29th Division but the 33rd Division. So the government official did not do his or her homework and Frank’s grave has incorrect unit information on it. Just because it’s carved in stone does not make it true.
Do you have any questions about military burials? Please ask in the comments.
Are You Ready to Start Writing and Researching?
I would love to help you research and write the stories of your family members from World War I – World War II. If you are ready to start a research or writing project, email me at info@wwiirwc.com and let’s set up a free phone consultation. I’m excited to help you bring your family’s military history to life and preserve it for generations.
Are you ready to start your Vietnam war research but are unsure where to begin? I have a few tips for you.
Marines in Vietnam.
Many people have a general idea of which battles their relative participated in or where they served. Often a Division or Unit is known. Rarely do they have a timeline of service created or know specifically when the soldier was in each unit and where he was. Too often, people assume their service member was with a particular unit the entire war. Unfortunately this is usually not the case. Service members for all branches, were often transferred and therefore may not be in only one unit their entire service.
Heading straight into unit records based on limited knowledge, like a unit on a discharge paper (DD-214), may cause you a lot of wasted time and potentially money if you request records or hire a researcher, without first knowing for sure where your service member was and in which unit.
Before you pursue research or hire a researcher like myself, do as much of the following as possible.
1. Create a Timeline of Service
The first thing you should do is create a timeline of service based on what you know about your service member’s service history. A timeline should list the date (either full or a year) and the event which happened. Noting where you found that information, even if it was a family story, is important. Being able to refer to the source of the fact will help you throughout the research process. There may be other clues you did not notice, or that a professional researcher will notice. Even if you are unsure if all facts are correct, list them. You can sort out what is truly accurate later. A timeline of service may look like the following:
September 1965 – Enlisted in the USMC
1966 – Father/Grandfather served in Okinawa
November 1966 – DaNang, Vietnam with 2nd Marine Division. Remained there until time to go home.
September 1971 – Discharged from the USMC
2. Do your homework
After you create a general timeline, search your home and ask your family to look for documents and photographs that provide clues. EVERY clue you find may help, even if it conflicts with another piece of information you have. Write it all down and cite the source. Also ask for family stories and inquire about how things were after the veteran returned home. This information is important in understanding the veteran’s trauma and what was passed through the family.
3. Obtain the OMPF and Morning Reports or Muster Rolls
Next, order the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO. You need several pieces of information, if possible, when submitting a request. Please see current NPRC requirements when requesting information for Vietnam. Privacy rules may apply and you may need to be the veteran or next of-kin to request, unless the service member is deceased.
Service Member’s full name
Date and place of birth
Service Number (this is not the individual’s Social Security Number)
Branch of service
Dates of service (enlistment, discharge or death)
Theater(s) of war
Unit(s) in which he or she served
The least expensive way to begin a search is to fill out Form 180 on the NPRC website (http://www.archives.gov/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf) and see if the file survived. If records are discovered, NPRC will send you a letter indicating such, as well as your fee for copies. Form 180 will ONLY search personnel records.
Another option is to hire a researcher, such as myself, who is able to obtain and analyze the records available. There are many more valuable records at the NPRC besides the service files, such as Morning Reports, that Form 180 will not search for you.
As of April 2022, while NPRC is open, access records is difficult. Sending in Form 180, due to their two year backlog due to being closed from Covid, it will be faster and easier to hire a researcher to obtain information. Email me at info@wwiirwc.com to discuss a project.
4. Analyze the Information & Start Writing the Story
One of the most important parts of the research process is writing the story. Writing does not necessarily mean you need to publish a book. Writing the story allows you to see where there are errors or gaps in your research. It allows you to formulate new research questions and therefore search for new materials.
When you obtain new information, add it to your timeline of service. Analyze the information and go through all your previously obtained records with a fine tooth comb. Make sure you understand what information is presented, especially if any of it conflicts. People made mistakes in records then just as we do today. No one is perfect.
5. Look for Unit Records
Finally, once you have a firm understanding of which units your soldier was in and when, you can begin looking for unit records. These records will provide a greater context of battles and additional training your soldier received. You may not locate your soldier’s name in many of these records but you will understand the battles and overall context of the war. These records are held at NARA College Park, MD, but also exist in other archives and university libraries/archives. As of April 2022, NARA is open but hiring a researcher will allow you to access records faster.
Over a decade ago I began researching my family’s World War I and World War II stories, most of which involved death or some kind of war wound. About the same time I began researching all branches of the military and exploring records for both wars with a focus on the WWII Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF).
The more I researched and wrote books about my family or the research strategies, I realized the work was changing me. Changing me on an emotional, mental, and spiritual level. I guess in some ways a physical level as exercise was a great outlet to release pent up emotions I picked up as an empath and medium as I read files.
When I was in a relationship with a European man, I also inherited his family’s war trauma. His mother in particular suffered greatly and while she lived, never healed. You will find as you do this work, not only your bloodline ancestors show up for healing, but ancestors of those whom you are in relationship with (lover, friend, etc.). It has also been my experience that the ancestors of my clients and colleagues also show up. The ancestors seek out those they know can help them. You are allowed to say no and send them away. Or send them away for now.
Over time I began to see patterns in my family, this man’s family, and as I was living back and forth between Chicago and the Netherlands and traveling a lot to battlefields, cemeteries, museums, and speaking with many people in Europe about their family’s war experiences, I learned a lot about European collective war trauma and patterns.
Patterns of beliefs, behaviors, and trauma. Patterns of silence and secrets. I heard stories about some of my family members that were completely false, as proven by the military records, yet were told to protect the dead. Stories that were told to protect the living. Stories that in the end, harmed everyone including the descendants like me. Stories that led to a lot of unanswered questions – especially, ‘Would you have married him or her, if the war had not happened?’
The World Wars affected everyone whether they served in combat, behind the lines, on the home front, or were civilians living through the hell or waiting at home. Veterans were told to stay silent on so many things that happened. Many veterans and civilians could not reconcile what they were forced to do or chose to do to stay alive and therefore could not share their experiences. The common emotions surrounding them were shame, anger, hatred, guilt and survivor’s guilt, grief, a sense of loss of so many things. Many people, especially in Europe and the Pacific, made choices to survive and keep their children alive, that they likely had some regrets about later. Many women were publicly shamed or harmed because of choices they made to stay alive. Their descendants and all of humanity carry these things.
All of humanity carries the sins & patterns of the fathers along with the unresolved & unintegrated traumas. Now is the time to heal.
~ Jennifer holik
Whether a veteran had physical war wounds or not, every veteran came home changed. Every veteran had some kind of mental issues to heal due to the war, even if they were somewhat hidden or held in secret. Every civilian who lived overseas where the combat was happening was affected. The silence and secrets permeated the energy in families and communities. The propaganda in the U.S. and Europe was to start life again. Rebuild. Start a family. Get a job. Go to school. Assimilate in the new country you chose or were forced to live in. Forget the past. Live for those who died. Never Forget.
Yet as we come to the grandchildren or great grandchildren or even 2x great grandchildren of World War II veterans and families, we find WE are suffering from our ancestors’ unresolved and unintegrated traumas. WE are suffering from PTSD and inherited trauma. WE are carrying the patterns that were destructive in their lives, often on an unconscious level. WE have the tools and resources today to heal and release the past and move out of the destructive patterns.
If you would like to learn more, hear my story, and learn how to identify these patterns and heal, registration is open for Saturday 9 October’s Family’s War Secrets webinar. In this webinar you are granted access to the first part of the process I teach with the replay from the What’s Wrong With Daddy? class I taught in September. Through both of these classes you will learn new tools to identify what your family endured, whether war or any other traumas. You will learn how to identify the patterns that are (often) unconsciously running your life, relationships, work, and choices. You will also learn ways to heal these patterns.
Have you joined the Ancestral Cafe Membership Program yet?
Each month I will teach live on a new topic, resource, or teach a new skill. A replay will be available in the product. I will begin with foundational topics for working with our ancestors & healing. We will then be jumping into topics around family patterns that we discover in genealogy & military records & how they affect our lives. I will be sharing tools to help you discover these patterns, blessings, & burdens to better understand yourself and your ancestors. You might be surprised at what you discover – I certainly was when I used these tools!
Our late summer line-up!
Thursday, August 5, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. CST
Topic: Grounding and Boundaries when working with the Ancestors
When we do this deeper work, it is vital we establish boundaries and ground our energy. This is especially important knowledge when you travel for heritage reasons.
Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. CST
Topic: Processing Our Discoveries (genealogy, military, and personal discoveries)
How do we process the new knowledge which comes from our research, conversation with family members, or our own ‘ah-ha’ moments? I’ll teach some tools to help you process information, especially when it is traumatic or unexpected.
October – date TBD
Topic: General Ancestral Details in Military Records
We are so often trying to only discover names, dates, and places within military records that we overlook details which help us better understand our ancestor. In this first program on military records, I’ll show you some often-overlooked details in a basic look at personnel records.
November – date TBD
Topic: Trauma Details in Military Records
Following-up on last month’s topic, I will take you through some higher level contextual military records to help you identify information that can help explain the trauma your ancestor suffered during war. These details will help you piece together the story of who they were after the war.
Want to learn more?
Click the link to learn more and join the Ancestral Cafe Membership Program.
If you are interested in learning more about how to identify trauma and other things that impacted your ancestors, be sure to sign up for my mailing list to be notified about upcoming free taster webinars and online classes.
This section of the writing prompt book contains 27 questions.
What lessons (positive and negative) were passed down through the family because of the war?
What lessons (positive and negative) were passed down through the family because of the war?
What lessons (positive and negative) were passed down through the family because of the war?
What lessons (positive and negative) were passed down through the family because of the war?
Was there any neglect or abuse because of the trauma of war? Emotional, mental, spiritual, physical? This question applies not only to children but spouses of those who served.
Most men of the right age HAD to go fight. There was no choice. How did this lack of choice affect how they lived the rest of their lives and raised their children, if they survived the war? Did they feel they still had choices after the war?
How did your mother and the family cope if the father was in any way disabled (mentally, physically, emotionally) from the war?
How did the family cope if he spent most of his days living in a hospital rather than with the family? How did this impact the lives of his children?
Journal Prompts for Grandchildren of War
This part of the writing book contains 11 writing prompts.
What lessons were passed down through the family because of the war?
What stories did you hear about your grandfather or grandmother who served in the war?
Was there abuse or neglect in your family because of how your parents were raised after the war? How did you cope with it? Did you allow the abuse to continue or did you stop the cycle?
What do you wish you could ask your grandparents about their service or life during the war, if they were still alive?
My invitation to you!
Would you like more military research and writing education? I offer short online courses and webinars on my WWII Education website.
Are you ready to begin untangling and looking at your family’s war trauma? Or any other family trauma that has affected your life? If you would like assistance in this, contact me at info@wwiirwc.com to ask how I can help you. I use facilitation packages of 1, 3 or 5 hours to work with clients as we explore their genealogy and military histories, to find the patterns, and do energy healing together.
Are you ready to heal your past to live a fuller, more vibrant life with more possibilities?
I’m so excited to announce a new arm of my business, Finding the Answers Journey.
What can you expect in this space? My target is to create a space in which we can have conversations about the deeper issues, secrets, stories, and questions we encounter as we research our family and military histories. It will also be a place of one-on-one facilitation to help you move through the layers of your family’s past and find closure.
Over the last couple of years, many of the people hiring me have been asking for the deeper things. They want to know more than the basics or skimming the surface of who their father/grandfather/uncle/brother/mother, etc. was or what they did in military service or life.
My clients have questions about who these people really were. They want to explore the different layers of who they were, what their life was, what their family was and is, and how they are affected by the sum. Clients want to know how someone’s military experience or life experiences shaped who they were, and in turn, shaped who their descendants became. Many clients are coping with anticipated grief as they caregive for a parent who is dying or dealing with a long-term illness. Many are dealing with inherited trauma, compassion fatigue, anticipated grief, and PTSD. In this new space we will be exploring many of these issues and more. My husband has been dealing with cancer and other health issues since a month after we met. Now 2 1/2 years later we are still dealing with things. In this space I will be sharing my experiences and resources I use to cope.
To begin, you can sign up for our Free Member’s Area with articles, videos, writing tools, and additional resources. When you join you will also be subscribed to our newsletter.
Coming Soon!
In the next couple of weeks I am launching a book club. This isn’t your typical book club though. Each month or two, depending on the size of the book I choose, you will have the option to purchase access to that month’s book club. Included in the purchase offer will be:
Access to a list of questions to use while you read the book.
Access to the book club webinar, or in the cases of some books which have a lot to discuss, two webinars.
Live webinar with panelists. For some books the author will participate as a panelist.
Ability to view a replay of the webinar should you miss it live.
Writing prompts and additional questions for discussion to help you learn more about your family and Find the Answers.
Special limited-time offers on online classes, future webinars, and other resources.
Be sure to sign up for our Free Member’s Area. This grants you a subscription to our newsletter to learn what we are doing to help you dig deeper into your research to Find the Answers and closure to the past to create a better future.
Johan and I visited the Livingston County War Museum in Pontiac, IL on 11 August 2018. David Estes, son of Dal Estes, for whom the museum was created, invited me to visit when he attended one of my WWII programs in 2017. You know how, You don’t know what you don’t know?Or you don’t know what you’re missing? I’ll be honest and explain I didn’t know what I was missing!
Pontiac is roughly an hour south of where I live in the Chicago area. It was December that David attended my talk and invited me to visit the museum. In my mind, I was really busy between my business, kids, weather, traveling to and from Europe as often as I do. I had a point of view about driving an hour to visit a small town off I-55 in Illinois to see a small museum. Going there was not on the top of my priority list. I thought, when I am traveling down or up I-55, I’ll try to stop. Someday.
Wow was I wrong in my point of view! After onevisit, the museum is a place I want to return to and spend more than a couple of hours.
I made arrangements to stop at the museum on our way back to Chicago from a trip we were taking. It worked out that we would have about two hours or more to stop and see the museum. As you know, I’m an empath and medium. I perceive a lot of energy that others do not. I am able to send souls to the light, heal people, places, and things with just existing in a space, shaking their hand, moving some energy. My body is capable of a lot of different ways to heal – not all pleasant I discovered.
That morning I woke up exhausted and with a small headache. Even after breakfast and coffee I wasn’t feeling great. I let Johan drive and the headache began to turn more into a migraine complete with nausea. My awareness told me that the cause was my visit to the museum. Apparently my body was processing a lot of energy and I knew once something happened at the museum (a meeting, a conversation, someone walking in the door), the pain would subside and it would all be ok. I was also aware that I was connected to this something and healing would take place for me too.
We arrived at the museum and David greeted us and told us a little about the historical building the museum was housed in and took us upstairs to the museum. My initial thought that a museum that occupied the top floor of an old courthouse or firehouse could not be that large. Again, I was wrong. The space may not be national military museum size but it contains so many stories. It is unlike any other museum I’ve seen in the states or Europe.
We were greeted inside the museum by mannequins all dressed in uniforms from WWI to the present. These uniforms were donated by the veteran or a family member and ALL of them lived in Livingston County except for one. With each uniformed mannequin, there was also attached a photo where possible of the service member and a short biography of their service.
For anyone searching for information and photos of WWI or WWII service members from Livingston County, this museum is a place to contact asking for assistance.
Stories are what I love and think we should be creating more of about our service members so we better understand them, the wars in which they fought, our families, and ourselves. The Livingston County War Museum does an incredible job telling the stories. These mannequins were only the start of what was there.
David gave us a tour of the museum which contained a main room with model airplanes, artifacts, mannequins, stories. There is a WWI room with a research library for all wars. The WWI room has a lot of photos and artifacts and so many stories I think you need 30-45 minutes minimum in that room. The main room contains more mannequins and stories, flags, shelves and cases filled with artifacts, and so much more.
The museum is run primarily by volunteers, veterans who man the desks, answers questions, educate through Skype in the Classroom all around the world, and tell stories. The museum offers school group tours and encourage more schools to arrange a visit. They also have a YouTube channel with videos and veteran interviews. I met Raleigh, a Navy veteran from WWII who told us he was on a Destroyer in the Atlantic. The gentleman who donated the model planes at the front of the museum told us a funny story in which he made Raleigh the primary reason we won the war. We all had a good laugh.
If you can perceive the energy, you will feel it in the museum. To me it felt ok as if I was being embraced. After about an hour in the museum, perceiving energy in some spots more intensely than others, I had a couple of conversations with some veterans and my almost migraine left. Poof – gone! And then in walked a 69th Infantry Division Veteran (who will remain nameless for privacy), regaled us with stories of his training, did a little tap dancing, and then magic happened. First, he could not believe he was standing in a war museum at the age of 97 or talking to us all and that we wanted to listen. Second, I was aware a lot of healing was going to happen.
The veteran had no idea Johan is Dutch and lives in the Netherlands (or Holland as the GIs knew it and called it during the war). The veteran told us at one point he helped liberate a camp with French, Belgian, and Dutch workers (this choked him up a bit). When I told him Johan was Dutch, the tears began to flow, hugging commenced, I started tearing up, and an intense healing came for not only those of us in the room but all those who were part of the war attached to the 69th or these camps. The veteran again started saying he couldn’t believe he was there and that he was meeting us at the age of 97. It was a beautiful moment to be a part of.
We spoke with the veteran on and off throughout the last 30 minutes or so of our visit as we all moved through the museum. Maybe he will come to Europe next year for one of the anniversaries the 69th Infantry Division commemorates. He said he would like to.
I would like to leave you with a few photos and some final thoughts.
Remember, you don’t know what you don’t know and often don’t know what you are missing. Try not to put off visiting places you know intuitively you should go.
Timing is important. I am aware that the timing of a visit or meeting often happens when people are ready for it. Maybe I wasn’t ready or the people with whom I had conversations weren’t ready. Honor your timing.
Do not pass up a small museum off the highway because of your points of view. You never know what is inside that will change your life.
Pay attention to the stories in the small museums – they often appear more powerful because the museum volunteers have more knowledge about the men and women, their service, and their sacrifice.
Finally, you never know who is going to walk through the door of these small museums and change your life or the world. The atmosphere in the small museums, as compared to national military museums, is more intimate. You can have a longer conversation without being bothered by a lot of noise or activity. You can have those more intimate moments with people that are not possible elsewhere.
Am I ready to go back to the museum? YES YES YES!!! One conversation I had with David opened up several new possibilities for my life, he told me something that is very important for me to do which I have been putting off, and there is an amazing energy there that begs you to return. Once I get my thoughts organized and create more of the healing side of my business, I do plan to return and talk with David more. And yes, I promise I will write my story and get it into the world. Plus, you never know who you will meet!
What small museums have you visited that you can recommend in the states or Europe? Where should Johan and I go next on our travels?
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I’m so excited to announce a new arm of my business, Finding the Answers Journey.
We arrived at the museum and David greeted us and told us a little about the historical building the museum was housed in and took us upstairs to the museum. My initial thought that a museum that occupied the top floor of an old courthouse or firehouse could not be that large. Again, I was wrong. The space may not be national military museum size but it contains so many stories. It is unlike any other museum I’ve seen in the states or Europe.
The museum is run primarily by volunteers, veterans who man the desks, answers questions, educate through Skype in the Classroom all around the world, and tell stories. The museum offers school group tours and encourage more schools to arrange a visit. They also have a 
