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Lisle, IL Veteran History Project

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The Museums at Lisle Station Park Seek Your Help!

I’ve been volunteering at a local museum, The Museums at Lisle Station Park, in Lisle, DuPage County, Illinois. I’m helping the curator, Grace, compile veteran information. We began our focus with World War II since in the 1990s, a questionnaire was sent out to Lisle veterans and families, asking for information for a 50th Anniversary Exhibit of the U.S. entry into the war.

These questionnaires have sat in a filing cabinet for years since the exhibit and are all handwritten. One of my jobs is to make this information usable and to locate additional information on as many veterans as possible through research.

Now, in preparation for an exhibit in 2025, we are seeking YOUR help. Is your family from Lisle? Would you be able to contribute information, records, photos, family stories about your Lisle veteran? While we are focusing on World War II veterans, the museum also seeks information on veterans of all wars who were from Lisle. Your Help!

In the early 1990s, the Museums at Lisle Station Park in Lisle, Illinois, began research on local World War II veterans. This was done in part for an exhibit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United States’ entry in to the war. Names of Lisle veterans were obtained from lists provided by the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA). Questionnaires were sent to as many veterans as addresses could be found.

We know the lists obtained from NARA for those who served or those who died, are not always 100% accurate as to where someone resided. Additionally, we know some men moved to Lisle just before or after the war. The list compiled in the 1990s of Lisle veterans can be found here.

Currently the Museum is gathering more information on local veterans. The Museum seeks information, copies of discharge papers and other documents, and photos on veterans from any war, but specifically World War II for an upcoming exhibit in 2025. Please consider completing this Military Service Questionnaire and returning it to the Museums as Lisle Station Park along with a photo of the veteran.

To return the questionnaire and photo, you can scan the pages, create a PDF and email to Grace Holzhaeuer at museum@lisleparkdistrict.org. Photos can be scanned and sent as JPGs. 300 dpi is preferred. You may also mail the form and photo to The Museums at Lisle Station Park, 1925 Ohio Street, Lisle, IL 60532. Thank you for your help in preserving the service and stories of Lisle Veterans!

© 2024 WWII Research & Writing Center

Stories of the Greatest Generation

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One of my missions with the work I do is to help people tell their stories so our veterans and family members are not forgotten. The more we share our personal, family, and veteran stories, the more we learn about ourselves and each other. Our stories also honor those who came before us. In some cases, they may teach life lessons.

This month we honor our World War II veterans as we commemorate the end of WWII on VE Day, May 8. We also remember those who gave their lives for our freedom in all wars, on Memorial Day. Less then two weeks later, we commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings.

As a way to honor those who served in World War II, those who died, and those who remained on the home front, you are invited to share your veteran stories with me to be published on the WWII Research & Writing Center website starting May 13 and running through June 7, 2024.

Sharing Stories May Help You & Others

By sharing your stories, it may help someone else discover the stories of their veterans. This could be because their veteran was in the same unit as yours.

You may help someone start researching their grandmother’s civilian life during the war or her work as a Rosie.

You may be connected by a family member you didn’t know existed. It’s been my experience that through posting stories about my ancestors and writing their books, people have come to me over the years to give me family artifacts they no longer want or know I would care for because I wrote the story about an individual.

You may help someone heal a piece of themselves. How? When we share not only the “good” things our veteran did, but also the “bad” or “hard” things, or the way the war affected them and the family, it may help others see the same in their family. Or perhaps admit their family isn’t the only one who endured…. or suffered ….. or had to remain silent…. or was dysfunctional in some way. War impacted everyone.

Writing the stories can be healing for you! I’ve written over 20 books in the last decade and a half. Some of those were stories about my ancestors who died in war. To say they were emotionally difficult to research and write is an understatement. I cried a lot. I learned I could love someone I’d never met. And pieces of my heart and life healed through the writing and sharing of the stories. I came out the other side of the process a different and better version of myself.

Submit Your Story

To submit a story for publication:

  1. In the email Subject line please put VETERAN or CIVILIAN STORY.
  2. Give your story a title.
  3. Send your story as text in the body of an email to me at info@wwiirwc.com.
  4. Please keep stories on the shorter side so people will read them. If you have a lengthy story to share, please let me know.
  5. Feel free to include sources where you obtained the information in your story so others learn about available records and resources.
  6. If you are stuck or have questions you hope someone can help with, add those in your story. You never know who will reach out to assist.
  7. Include one or two photos to go with the story. If you do not have a photo please let me know.
  8. Include YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION by way of an email address, your website, or other ways you want people to be able to reach you. You never know who may reach out because you told your story.

Thank you for sharing your stories. I look forward to reading and posting them!

Research Your Veteran’s Story

If you’d like to learn your veteran’s history, I take research and book clients. Email me at jennifer@ancestralsouls.com and let’s set up a time to chat. I offer free consults to discuss the research strategy, fees, time, and possibilities.

You can also pick up a copy of my book Research a Veteran which will guide you through the initial information gathering.

© 2024 WWII Research & Writing Center

Top 5 Mistakes in WWI & WWII Research

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Get unstuck and discover your veteran’s story

Military Research from World War I to Vietnam can be tricky, frustrating, time consuming, and at the end, you may not have the correct answers. So what can you do to ensure you are finding your veteran’s story? Avoid these 5 Mistakes when doing research and learn how to find the answers.

Mistake #1: The Discharge Paper has a unit. This may not be the combat unit or only unit.

One thing many people tell me when they hire me to do a research project or attend one of my classes is that they can’t find information on their veteran using the unit listed on the Discharge & Separation Paper.

Sometimes that unit is a discharge only unit. All is not lost if this is the case because that unit is a start point to move through the records, especially if you are researching Army or Army Air Corps/Army Air Forces/Air Force service. Additionally, on Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine papers, the space to list all ships/stations/units is small and all units may not be present on the discharge so you’ll need the service file to discover more information.

How to avoid this mistake

Use the discharge paper as a start point. It is full of puzzle pieces to help you start building the puzzle of your veteran’s service. Create a timeline of service using the discharge paper to create the foundation of service. This allows you to see where your gaps and errors are; help you formulate better research questions; and ultimately find answers.

Mistake #2: The Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) contains everything you want to know.

The OMPF contains the building blocks of someone’s service. You’ll learn about enlistment and discharge or death. Medical information. Next of Kin information. Training stations, MOS (jobs), rank, where they served, promotions, court martials, and so much more. Often these records contain letters or official documents regarding family members. You just never know what you’ll discover.

That said, these files provide the foundation for you to add dates and facts to your timeline of service. They do not give you the context of service unless someone was taken Prisoner, Missing, or Killed In Action – then there may be some additional context. Use the OMPF as a start point but realize there is so much more to discover.

How to avoid this mistake

Recently I wrote an article, Reconstruction WWII Veteran History, about the military service file on my WWII Research & Writing Center website. The information in this article also applies to the Separation and Discharge paper for WWII. It’s a puzzle piece but not a veteran’s entire story. This document does contain vital information about service that may contradict a veteran’s story.

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Mistake #3: All the Records Did Not Burn

Society has been programmed to believe All the records burned in the 1973 NPRC fire. This is not true. In fact, previously damaged files are being reconstructed or “healed” in some way using new technology at the NPRC in St. Louis. While you might not receive every page that was in a damaged file (water, fire, mold), chances are better today than even a few years ago, that you will receive something.

What burned? They said about 80% of Army and Army Air Corps/Army Air Force/Air Force OMPFs.

What didn’t burn? Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and Marine Corps OMPFs.

There are plenty of records in the NPRC, NARA, Presidential Libraries, online websites, University Archives, Museums, Genealogical Societies, and many other places to help you discover information so you can conduct research.

If you are researching Army or Army Air Force service, you must have a unit at some point in time to do any research if the file burned. There are Company Morning Reports, Payroll Records, and Rosters to help you reconstruct service and the footsteps of your veteran. However, the archivists at the NPRC will not do this research for you. You have to go there or hire a researcher like me to get the records. You’ll need a unit to search these records. It isn’t enough to tell us your dad was in the 90th Division. If you can say 358th Infantry Regiment of the 90th Division, we can work with that but if you can go down to the Company level, it’s much easier and faster for us to search.

Don’t have a unit? Ask me how to start research by emailing me at jennifer@ancestralsouls.com. I give every potential client a free phone consult and help you find information so a project can be started. There are many ways to find a unit.

How to avoid this mistake

Remember there are many other records available to help you reconstruct military service. It’s important to find as many clues about your veteran as possible using home sources and online sources. There are also some records at NPRC we can access and other places, to help you find answers.

You can read more about some of these records at my WWII Research & Writing Center website.

Mistake #4: The Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) is not the OMPF and Did Not Burn

Camp Butner, NC Winter 1943/1944. James Privoznik standing on right. James was KIA 11 January 1945.

There are two main files people confuse.

OMPF: Official Military Personnel File. This is the veteran’s service file.

IDPF: Individual Deceased Personnel File. This is a veteran’s death file IF they died while still in military service.

If your veteran survived the war, he will not have an IDPF. If he was discharged and died a day later, he will not have an IDPF. If he died of illness or wounds, as a POW, was Missing In Action and never recovered, or was Killed In Action, he will have an IDPF.

The IDPFs have been in various locations within the National Archives system since 2010. How to obtain copies of these files has changed many times. This is a file you will need if your veteran didn’t survive the war. It will contain information on the death, temporary burial, permanent burial, personal effects, possibly information on the circumstances of the death or Missing status. There may be legal papers for family members, especially if the legal Next-Of-Kin changed. There may be (rarely) a photograph. These files range from 20 pages on average to over 360.

The IDPF was never in the NPRC when the fire took place. They never burned. They also do not contain the full OMPF. Many people think the OMPF was merged into the IDPF but it was not. There may be some documents that were copied and added, but overall they were not.

How to avoid this mistake

Learn more about these two files in my article at the WWII Research & Writing Center.

Learn current ways to access the IDPFs for surnames A-L and M-Z in my article.

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Mistake #5: All the Records are not Online

Online and everywhere I teach I hear complaints that more records are not online. There are many records available to help you tell a story, but it is extremely rare to find everything you need online. The 7th Armored Division website may come close as they seem to have all IDPFs, Morning Reports, Unit Records (but not OMPFs).

You will find some records to help you reconstruct service on Ancestry, Fold3, Newspapers.com, FindAGrave, NARA, Branch-Specific Military museums, and many other sites. Use these as puzzle pieces to help you build the larger puzzle. Then visit a library or archive and do some old fashioned research! It really can be fun!

TIP! No matter where you get information – online or through archives – VERIFY the information you find against other sources. Military records do contain errors and sometimes other people’s documents.

How to avoid this mistake

Use online sources to help reconstruct service and find unit level records. Use online Finding Aids to discover what records still exist at a repository from the war. Then work with an archivist, librarian, or professional military researcher to obtain paper records stored in archives.

Work with a researcher who knows how to obtain records and will get you what you require – not just take your money and give you what they think you need. Learn more in my article A Word of Caution When Hiring a Military Researcher.

Explore your World War I or World War II Veteran’s Story

If you’d like to learn your veteran’s history, I take research and book clients. Email me at jennifer@ancestralsouls.com and let’s set up a time to chat. I offer free consults to discuss the research strategy, fees, time, and possibilities.

I also offer the Honoring Our Heroes program consisting of six webinars with workbooks to help you research any veteran from WWI-Vietnam, even if the records burned.

You can also pick up a copy of my book Research a Veteran which will guide you through the initial information gathering.

© 2024 World War II Research and Writing Center

Start 2024 By Telling Your Veteran Stories

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Unlock the Power of Your Veteran Stories: A Transformative Program for 2024!

As we embark on the journey of a new year, let’s make 2024 a year of profound transformation by honoring the heroes who fought in World War II. As we approach the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings on June 6, it’s time to capture and share the stories of bravery, sacrifice, and resilience.

Have You Shared Your Veteran Stories?

If not, fear not! Our exclusive program is designed to help you effortlessly and swiftly bring your veteran stories to life. Join us on either Saturday, January 6, or Monday, January 22, for an enlightening 60-minute webinar on writing your veteran stories. This is your chance to embark on a journey of self-expression and healing.

Learn more & register at the Ancestral Souls Wisdom School.

What the Program Includes

60-Minute Webinar

   – Gain insights and inspiration during an engaging live webinar that guides you through the art of crafting compelling veteran stories.

30-Minute Private Coaching Session

   – Receive personalized guidance and feedback from an experienced coach to enhance the depth and impact of your narratives. This session must be scheduled and used within 30 days of the program or you lose it.

500+ Writing Prompts Book

   – Unleash your creativity with a comprehensive book of over 500 writing prompts tailored specifically for capturing the essence of veteran and civilian experiences.

PDF Guide

   – Navigate the writing process seamlessly with our detailed PDF guide, packed with tips, Do’s and Don’ts, writing themes, outlines, and more.

Why Join the Program?

– Transformative Experience. Rediscover the therapeutic power of storytelling as you embark on a journey of healing through the written word.

– Honoring Heroes. Pay homage to the brave men and women who shaped history by immortalizing their stories for future generations.

– Guidance Every Step of the Way. Benefit from expert insights and personal coaching to ensure your narratives resonate with authenticity and emotion.

Learn more & register at the Ancestral Souls Wisdom School.

© 2023 WWII Research & Writing Center

Honoring Our Heroes Programs

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If you missed this fall’s live series of Honoring Our Heroes and would still like to learn how to research your WWI or WWII veteran, the programs are available to purchase. Military research and writing the stories makes a great winter activity and now is the perfect time to sign up because we are in the season of family gatherings where you can ask questions about your veteran ancestors. Full details and registration link.

What’s included:

Learn my 2-part military research strategy and how to advance your research for any WWI, WWII, Korea or Vietnam service member, even if the records burned. This pre-recorded series contains six webinars plus a 30-minute private coaching session. Access to these programs is one year.

Coaching session must be used within 6 weeks of purchase of program or you lose it. Programs include:

  • Research a Veteran (Research strategy part 1)
  • The Greatest Generation (Research strategy part 2)
  • World War II Sacrifice
  • Exploring the Online Battlefield
  • Your Doughboy’s Story (WWI research)
  • Battlefield Stories (start writing your stories)

Full details and registration link.

Honoring Our Heroes Program

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Announcing the Honoring Our Heroes Program!

Starting Saturday 9 September at 10:00 a.m. CDT, I’m hosting six weekly webinars on researching your WWI and WWII service members and writing their stories. These will run weekly through 21 October. There will not be a class on 7 October.

In these 75-90 minute sessions before Q&A, you will get all the information you need to research and write your stories. I’ll even be sharing some travel planning tips for those who are traveling for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day in 2024 and the 80th of VE Day in 2025!

Early Bird registrants (offer expires 4 September) receive a discounted price and a 30-minute coaching session.

Programs include:

  • Research a Veteran (Research strategy part 1)
  • The Greatest Generation (Research strategy part 2)
  • World War II Sacrifice
  • Exploring the Online Battlefield
  • Your Doughboy’s Story (WWI research)
  • Battlefield Stories (start writing your stories)

Learn more about each program & register today.

The Early Bird Pricing and Coaching Session offer expires 4 September and then the price goes up. Grab your spot today!

© 2023 WWII Research & Writing Center

WWII Discharge Paper Doesn’t Have All the Answers

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WWI and WWII Discharge papers come in many varieties. Each document contains the same basic information but more specific data will vary based on branch. Many people think the information on this document is the end all be all for telling a veteran’s story but this isn’t quite true. The discharge paper is a great place to start your research, especially if your veteran was in the Army or Army Air Forces/Air Force and his service file burned, but it doesn’t provide you with all the answers you seek.

Let’s look at the discharge paper for my great uncle Frank J. Kokoska. This document was obtained from his WWII Veterans Compensation file. It is not in the best condition as far as being able to read everything clearly, although we can make out most of the information.

There is a misconception that the unit on a service member’s discharge is the unit in which they saw combat. This may be true. It may not be true. In Frank’s case, he did serve in combat areas with this unit. On some discharge papers, the unit listed is one in which the veteran was transferred only to be discharged. While that tells us nothing of his combat experience, it is a start point for military research. Never take the one unit on a discharge paper as total truth. You will waste time and money researching the history of a unit that may have nothing to do with your veteran’s service beyond discharge.

I’ve done several military projects, particularly for the Army where the discharge shows a job that isn’t a combat job and they may have been in campaigns that had nothing to do with the unit on the discharge paper. Additionally, I recently helped a client locate information on a family member whose MOS (job) said Cook, yet he had trained and qualified on many weapons and earned the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB). So when was he a cook and when did he train on all those weapons? More importantly, what campaigns and unit was he in while he earned the CIB?

We have to learn how to read what is and is not on the discharge papers to piece the puzzle together and then search for more information.

In another client case I had a discharge that showed a 2nd Division unit yet the soldier was given credit for an Italian Campaign – Po Valley. The 2nd Division never fought in Italy so he couldn’t have been in that unit for those campaigns. This was a red flag that he was in multiple units and more digging was required.

Question everything you discover on a discharge paper because there may just be some information missing or provide a clue to lead you to further records.

Let’s examine a Naval Separation paper. There is a box on the right side in the middle that says SERVICE. This is where the units/ships/stations in which a sailor served would be listed. In some cases this list is short because the sailor trained and may have been placed on a ship or station to serve. In other cases, there may be information missing due to space to record all the information. The Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) will be able to provide more information on ships and stations. Again, question everything and do your homework to ensure you captured all units/ships/stations, regardless of military branch.

Remember, a discharge paper can provide us with many research starting points but it’s vital you examine it in detail. Create your timeline of service so you document all the details and can clearly see what information is there, what might be missing, and write down questions you have about what is on the document.

Places to locate a discharge paper

Where might you discover the discharge paper for your veteran? Here are a few places. This is not an exhaustive list of possibilities but the most likely places to begin your search.

WWI or WWII Veterans Compensation Files

County Offices (inquire which holds discharge papers. In Cook County, IL it is the Recorder).

Family papers and archives

Funeral homes

VA Records

University records

Are You Ready To Learn More?

Are you ready to start your research or writing project? Do you need assistance in exploring family traumas, patterns and ancestral healing? Email me at info@wwiirwc.com to schedule a free consult to talk about your needs. All clients receive a research report so you know what was discovered, what was not, and what’s possible to still discover.

© 2023 WWII Research & Writing Center

A Family’s Mental Health

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Our veterans were not the only ones to suffer with mental health issues and grief because of war. Families at home also suffered, often quietly. Have you explored the grief and mental health of your family due to war or the loss of a family member to war? This is applicable to both those families who sent men and women to fight and civilians whose countries were occupied or annexed during a war.

I’ve read hundreds of Individual Deceased Personnel Files over the last decade plus and the stories I discover in some of them can quite often be sad or shocking. Usually when researchers read these files or pass the information to a family, the focus is on the service member not the family members. Usually researchers are seeking the details about a service member’s combat experience, wounding, POW experience, death and burial. Of course other facts are sought but how often do we really pay attention to what the family experienced?

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Years ago I read the IDPF of a 104th Division soldier named Frank J. Knaus Jr. I also visited his grave in the fall of 2016 at the Ardennes American Cemetery.

One of the things that struck me from his file was a single letter written by a J. Sterner on behalf of Frank’s parents, to the military regarding Frank’s personal effects and all the letters the parents were receiving from the military. The relationship between J. Sterner and the family is unclear. According to what I could locate on Ancestry, it appears Frank was an only child.

The Letter

The letter spoke about the mental health and grief of Frank’s parents. The grief was so intense that Frank’s father was placed in a hospital. Often when we think about war and mental health, we only hear about how our veterans suffered and were placed in mental hospitals or other such facilities. We rarely hear about our own family members being placed in those facilities. Those events often remain as family secrets or things only to be whispered about until a family researcher discovers the secret.

Read Frank’s entire IDPF.

Healing the Grief

Quite often, those in the family who do genealogical or military research are the family healers. The ones who came here to end cycles and create healing up and down the lineage. We often unconsciously take on the grief of our family members. When something triggers that hidden grief in our lives, we may be confused about what’s happening or why we are reacting or responding to something so strongly. We don’t always have to know the specifics, but if we can learn the story, a deeper level of healing can take place.

Are you exploring the grief-filled events in your family’s history? What have you discovered? How did knowing this information change your life? How has it affected your research? Are you telling those stories so others know they aren’t alone in what their family has gone through?

When we share our experiences, even the shameful, sad, or hurtful ones, others learn they too can overcome and heal whatever they are going through. The more we bring our family’s pain to the light, the more we change ourselves, our ancestors, and the world. When one heals, we all heal. And healing is exactly what the world needs right now.

Are You Ready To Learn More?

What have you discovered about your ancestor’s war traumas through the military or genealogical records? Are you ready to start your research or writing project? Do you need assistance in exploring family traumas, patterns and ancestral healing? View all my services and book a free consult today and let’s talk about your needs.

© 2023 WWII Research & Writing Center

Are You Ready to Write Your Stories?

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Are you ready to write your military stories? Have you been writing and need some guidance or developmental editing? Unsure what might be missing from your research or narrative?

I have openings for three (3) new book clients in the month of May. If you are interested in taking your book project to the next level, getting organized to start, need your research examined to see what might be missing, or are ready for an edit, please contact me to set up a free phone consult to discuss your project and what’s possible.

For those who are writing a more spiritual military story, one of my gifts is helping you put more of yourself or the emotions into the story. Ask yourself how this story, how this service member added to your life, changed your life or perspective. Perhaps like me many of my family’s service members stepped forward to help me heal parts of myself, do the deeper inner work, and create a different kind of life. Many of my military ancestors also had past life things to work out with me, which we accomplished through research, writing, teaching, and travel.

Never be afraid to put yourself or the spiritual into your stories. It might be exactly what someone needs to read.

Are You Ready to Start Writing and Researching?

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.

If you want even more military and ancestral healing content, follow me on TikTok. I share a lot of additional tips there.

© 2022 WWII Research & Writing Center

Book Clubs: Stories of the Lost

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Imagine sending your son off to war. Will he return unharmed, unchanged, and whole? How long will he be gone? Will the war last forever? Will he return? Standing in front of you at the railroad station is a young man in uniform. He looks so handsome, so strong, and full of life. You hug him tightly before he boards the train. You wave goodbye and he’s gone. Years later your son returns from the war. He arrives not walking off the train, but carried off in a flag draped casket. Dead almost four years now and buried in a foreign land, you did not know where he was buried for almost two years after he was killed. Your son is unable to tell his story of war. Who will tell his story?

This book is a collection of stories about my relatives who left by train to fight for our freedom and never returned. Three of the men were brought home after the war ended. One however, still sleeps in that foreign soil. It is also the recognition of the men who cared for them after death. The stories of the lost found through the military record.

Grab a copy of this book on my books page. Then download the Book Club Reader Questions.

Can I Help With Your Research & Writing Projects

If you need help with your WWI – Vietnam research projects or writing projects, I am taking new clients. You can email me at info@wwiirwc.com to set up a phone call to discuss your projects and what’s possible.

© 2022 WWII Research & Writing Center