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Turning Points

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Last summer after my first trip to Europe I did a lot of stream of consciousness writing. My soul was ready to heal a lot of things, many of which I did not understand. The last few days as I prepared to go back to Bastogne, and then visit my cousin James Privoznik’s grave in Luxembourg, I stumbled upon some writing I did. So much has changed in the last year. A lot has been healed in my soul. Many people have been helped with their World War II soldier research and stories because of the work I’ve done and people I’ve had the honor of connecting with that have so graciously shared their expertise.

The first major Turning Point came in Europe April – May 2015. After that, more Turning Points showed up and big ways. In this moment, I feel another Turning Point is soon to come. Possibly Sunday when I visit my cousin James Privoznik’s grave in Luxembourg Cemetery. James has been with me for the last four years. We have had wonderful adventures together. There have been times I’ve wondered how it is possible to love someone so much I have never met in this life. I wonder what joy, healing, love, happiness, and peace it will bring. I hope some reading this will connect with the words, pain, love, and hope. We are all on this journey together……..this piece was written in June 2015.

I like writing prompts. I found one online written by Charity Hume on Cultural Weekly that started with this. William Styron, an American novelist said, “A novel is a progress toward an event, after which nothing will ever be the same again.” A turning point reverses the previous world, and gives you a whole new identity. It burns up your past in a conflagration of everything you’ve ever known. To go on, you must forget who you were. That’s a turning point. No way back.

james-in-uniformThe same can be said for World War II research. We have a starting point which could be a story, a soldier, a photograph, an artifact, or an event. When we choose to take the journey of that research, we travel a bumpy, twisty, often obstacle ridden road. Along that road we meet many people who enrich our experience and help us continue to move forward. We gather clues as we travel and uncover secrets buried deep in the recesses of the past. Exploring these secrets and revealing them can cause a turning point for many.

The journey we take as we research our soldier can take us to unexpected places where we have to confront our own issues, insecurities, fears, wishes and dreams. We can travel literally and figuratively across oceans and continents as we uncover the story and reveal the truth and lessons which exist.

Traveling across a continent can open new doors to experiences, people, places, and things. It can also dredge up the past and things hidden of which we may not have been aware. It can bring pain and love to the surface. Pain we may not understand. Love which leaves us confused. The journey across land can take us deep within ourselves.

Each person we meet along our journey can impact us in big and small ways. The most important are those that stand with us at a crossroads.

periers-edited-bwWe stood at the crossroads in a sacred place full of love, strength and power. Two hearts joined again in this life which had been separated. In that moment they joined the past with the present. The fear with the love. The desire with hope. The impossible with the possible. Laughter, harmony, peace, joy, and love all mingled together at those crossroads. It was time to make a choice – return to the past or live in the present. Heal the pain and create a new future or remain stuck standing between two worlds across time and space. And all of this was orchestrated by someone long gone but never forgotten. Someone who knew her heart and how to heal her as she had healed him. There was still much to be done and this was only the first step.

At that crossroads no wrong step could be taken. Each path led to greater love, hope, peace, and healing for her and many others. Her heart and soul knew this man standing before her was a key to unlocking something dark hidden deep inside her, even if her head did not yet know. A connection made. Confusion reigned as sparks flew in bright colors around them. A heart that understood how deeply she felt and appreciated that about her. A heart who would take care of her through good and bad. A heart that brought her home to a land where she could make such a difference in her life and others.

dachau-road-bwIt would not be an easy journey and the two may part ways at another crossroads, as often happens when we travel long roads. People greet us for only part of our travels while others stay. Those who stay often have different roles along the route. They provide laughter, a release. Love, acceptance, support, strength. They teach and provide clues for us to follow to piece together the vast puzzle of our journey.

How many Turning Points will be there along this road traveled? We can identify one to begin the travel and a direction to proceed from the crossroads where we first stepped into our power. That was not the only place in which we would step into our power. There would be many more if we paid attention and took the chance. Released the fear and stepping into more of our power, releasing the past and living in the present.

A crossroads came again when she realized what happened to her in a past life. Did she have the strength to deal with the fear, isolation, darkness, panic, and shame? With an idea of what transpired so long ago, she stood between two men in front of two doors, one light and one dark. She stood firm in her power and released past hurts and blocks. Then forgave the one who hurt her. Forgiveness heals us so we can move forward. It doesn’t matter if the person we forgive knows we have done this or not, or accepts our forgiveness. It releases from us the pain, anger, shame, isolation, and a million other feelings, which allows us to move forward in love.

german-cemetery-foy-door-editedThe dark door was closed which was a sign to her that this path was not an option. She was being protected from going so deeply into the darkness. Her choice must be to forgive and move into the light and release the past. What took place in that doorway in the past was closed and sealed. He could no longer hurt her. She was stepping into more of her power and was protected and loved by so many. Taking the man’s hand in front of the open door, they stepped through together into a room that went on forever and was full of light.

In the light she saw thousands of soldiers. And two men who mean the world to her. Joseph and James. Two men, long gone, who have watched over her for years and helped her with decisions, obstacles, and given their unconditional love in times when she really need it. Joseph had fallen back into the shadows months before because she had gained such strength, he wasn’t need as much. His job became one of the watcher to only intervene when necessary. He was happy she finally made a decision. Confused, she wondered which decision? There have been so many since she went to Europe.

James was thrilled to see the man she entered with. Brothers in arms, they fought and died together long ago. James had brought these two together for healing.

Another Turning Point came when she decided to invest in deeper healing and release the past in a larger way. Releasing all judgment, past bonds, hurts, and decisions with those who were not in her highest good. Releasing past bonds to provide a clean slate for this lifetime.

A Turning Point when she realized she was hiding from the world again and needed to rejoin it. She had an important place and work to do. Rejoining would come slowly because her power was building and it was not yet ready to be unleashed upon the world. There was more work to be done inside and for some others before the full strength of her power could be unleashed.

meuse-argonne-cemetery-writing-edited-bwWhat is the next step on her journey? To write the stories that people will remember. To write so people will learn how to capture and share their stories to heal the world. We are all connected in this giant web of life. My story is your story and through sharing, we all grow and heal in love.

A Turning Point is a chance to start over. Redefine ourselves and the world we live in.

Sometimes a Turning Point cannot happen until we release things from our past or we finally meet with a person who can help us find the missing pieces of ourselves to create a Turning Point. We may have things buried so deeply in our subconscious they can only surface with some love and pain caused by another who cares for us in this lifetime. These people do not intend to cause us pain but serve as a catalyst for a series of events which lead us to a new crossroads and enormous realization about something from our past.

These events may come to us in the form of something physical like a photograph that creates an uncomfortable feeling inside us. Spiritually through a message, a voice in our head, a gut feeling, a fleeting memory. Through conversation where the mention of a place can create a reaction of enormous fear and anxiety which is not understood.

How we deal with this realization creates another Turning Point. And when dealt with, we have reached yet another Turning Point and stand at a new crossroads where we gather our power and must make a new decision about which road to travel.

We can reach some of these Turning Points through writing. As we write a story, go through writing prompts, or record our thoughts for the day, themes appear. Ideas and story lines. Moments of happiness and sadness. All of these triggers can point us in a new direction and set up conditions to create a new Turning Point in our lives where we shed the past and embrace the future.

Storytelling is another avenue we may travel which creates Turning Points – either imaginary as part of the story or from our actual experiences. Storytelling allows us to share our life stories and help others realize they are not alone in their feelings or experiences. Stories bind us across this vast web of connectedness through similar experiences and feelings. Stories can join cultures and overcome language barriers. They can answer questions and bring up new ones. Create friendships. Pass along lessons to the next generation.

Research and stories can help us understand why our family did something in the past which never made sense to us. Why a mother would destroy all evidence of her marriage to a man who died in the war so her daughter would never really know him. We deal with grief in different ways, some constructive and some destructive. If we can stop for a minute and consider what we are destroying through our grief and how it will impact the future, would we still destroy it?

If we are able to understand through the historical lens why a generation felt this way and did the things they did to forget, move on, and survive, how would that heal us? Are there still answers to be found to our questions? Yes. Will we have to dig deeply to find them? Yes. Will some of our questions never be answered? Yes.

james-footsteps-woods-kia-edited-bwThere are those we meet on our journey into the mists from the crossroads. Those who give us tremendous healing. Traveling to the place where a loved one was lost forever is a solemn moment. Walking in the woods where James was killed was a moment in time I will never forget. It will stay with me forever. Walking across the spongy ground among the tall, silent trees swaying gently in the breeze under a sad, cloudy sky. Hearing whispers on the wind of thanks for coming to these woods. Whispers which reminded me I have a job to do. A job for which I was chosen. Whispers of appreciation because those who walk among the early morning mists know I will help tell their stories so they will not be forgotten. They have done their job and now it is time for me to continue mine. The writing will not be easy. The stories will be sad but through them we all heal. Letting go of the past does not mean we release all the parts of us that make us special. Letting go does not mean we give up gifts we are given in this lifetime. Letting go allows us to step more fully into our magic and power to create a better world tomorrow.

With Turning Points also comes greater vulnerability which can be extremely frightening. Opening ourselves up to one person at a time or through our stories, the entire world, takes some getting used to. I liken it to standing naked on a stage in front of a large audience.

Soul-wrenching transformation erupts from Turning Points.

© 2016 World War II Research and Writing Center

We Are The Forgotten

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Last summer I was thinking about my World War II research and trips to Europe where I visited many Allied and German sites and cemeteries. After a friend shared a video of a German cemetery, it seemed a lot of soldiers had much to say. I spent many hours writing over the next few days.

A lot of stream of consciousness writing and channeled writing came out of that. This was one piece where the dead were talking.

Written 21 August 2015

german-cemetery-foy-edited

We are the forgotten
The dishonored
Those who fought for our country and were then denied access.
We are the forgotten
Burdens we carry are many
Fear and hate consume us.

We are the forgotten
They spit upon our graves
And dance in the moonlight for the others.

We are the forgotten
Rough, tired, educated masses yearning to be free.

We are the forgotten
Young hearts lost in time
Husbands yearning for peace.

We are the forgotten
Our hopes for the future dashed
Families torn apart
Lives shattered.

Remember us
We fought for what we believed in
We deserve to go home.

Remember us
We have stories to tell
Lessons to impart
Lives to heal.

Remember us
We deserve to be honored too
Our lives DID matter.

Remember us
The world needs to hear our stories too
Our souls need to heal.

Remember us
Help us walk into the light without burdens or anger.
As we heal, so do you.

© 2016 World War II Research and Writing Center

10 Things Americans Should Know About European WWII Re-Enactors

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Two weeks ago I attended an Operation Market Garden re-enactment event in Son, Netherlands. You can read about it in my article Honoring Service: Living History in the Netherlands. In this article I stressed the importance of living history and how it provides context for our World War II soldier research. Today I’d like to continue that thought with things Americans should know about European WWII re-enactors and living history events.

Main Goals of Re-Enacting: Honor, Remember, Educate

1. Re-enacting groups exist all over Europe and the UK. Many groups come from the UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and sometimes Germany and Russia. They are not limited to the Netherlands where I have been spending time and writing about their events. Most re-enactors speak English. This is question many are asked when Americans first arrive at events.

Jeeps (6)I spent time last November with the 104th Division Friends of the Timberwolves group. They dedicated an entire day to showing me their museum, taking me for a ride in a WWII jeep around the countryside in the Netherlands where the 104th liberated villages, and provided me with a lot of printed history to take home to read.

2. The re-enactors own all the vehicles, uniforms, weapons, ammunition, books, and other items you see at an event or encampment.

Often, re-enactors are asked how the vehicles, uniforms, weapons, and other items visitors of battles or encampments see, get to Europe from the U.S. for the event. What visitors do not realize is, the things they see were left here (for the most part) after World War II. Some items are battlefield pick-ups and others were found in various locations around the continent. On occasion, items are purchased from U.S. sellers and shipped to Europe.

3. They invest their time and money.

Re-enactors are volunteers. It is rare to be paid to participate in an event. Usually, events in which they participate require a fee to participate. This comes out of the re-enactor’s individual pockets or their group budget.

4. Re-enactors do extensive research into the unit(s) they re-enact. Many provide educational programs in local schools. Some provide tours in the areas in which they live or have special knowledge of units and battles.

Part of the educational experience provided at events is the history of the unit, area, battle, or equipment used. School groups often attend events with an activity to complete so they talk to the participants and learn about the war. Re-enactors often visit schools to provide information on specific battles or commemorative dates.

5. Re-enactors try to explain what Americans did in Europe during the war. This includes clarifying misconceptions about battles, locations of troops, what was written in history books or is taught in school today, and issues that arose during the war.

Not all books written about the war have accurate information. We have to keep in mind that military reports are written from many different perspectives. The battles fought are usually described in different ways by participants. Picture two men sitting in a foxhole, both looking in different directions. They will experience and describe a battle from two different perspectives. Same battle but different experience because of the way they were facing and the trials they endured. Re-enactors do research to help clear up some of the discrepancies in written histories and provide information on what actually happened in their countries.

Bernie's grave6. Many adopt American graves at one of the European ABMC cemeteries for WWI or WWII.

Many re-enactors adopt a grave at one of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Cemeteries in Europe. This means they honor the soldier’s grave or his name on the Wall of the Missing, several times a year. This often happens on the soldier’s birth date, death date, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and country Liberation holidays. Grave adopters research the service of their soldier so they can tell their story. One of the most important pieces of the research is a photograph so the adopter can put a face with the name. Usually grave adopters try to locate family members of the soldier. When this happens, both parties are able to share information and put more pieces of the soldier’s story together in the puzzle.

Important! ABMC runs the cemeteries, maintains the cemetery grounds and graves, visitor center and chapel. Grave adopters have no responsibility for the upkeep of any grave they adopt. Their only “job” is to honor the memory of the soldier. It is commonly misunderstood that grave adopters maintain the graves they adopt.

7. Re-enactors often join U.S. WWII reunion associations. They travel to the U.S. to attend reunions and special events, write articles for those association newsletters or magazines, and interact and travel with with veterans in the U.S. and Europe.

Our World War II veterans are dying by the hundreds each week. Many re-enactors have met veterans from units they re-enact, both at events in the U.S. and in Europe. They become friends and visit each other on both continents. Often the re-enactors will also write articles about events and resources in Europe for these association magazines or newsletters. This is another way they provide education.

8. Re-enactment is not all about the battle but also daily life of a soldier. Many groups provide honor guards for commemorations or special events related to World War II in Europe.

Battles are not always fought during re-enactment events. Many times, visitors can see and experience what daily life was like in an encampment. Men cleaning their weapons, setting up tents, preparing medical supplies, stocking vehicles for movement, typing reports, and eating meals. What our soldiers experienced in the war was not constant battle, although for some it may have felt like that due to little time off the front lines. Daily camp life was part of their experience that we should understand.

It should also be noted, these events do not only happen during warm and nice weather. The war was a year-round event and those who fought in the Battle of the Bulge experienced one of the worst winters in Northern Europe’s history. Re-enactors can often be found staging battles or setting up camp even in winter conditions around the continent.

9. Due to the long history of warfare in the UK and Europe, re-enactors can provide re-enactment services for more than WWII. They can re-enact anything from the Middle Ages to the present.

Europe has a longer history than the U.S. and of course, has participated in many more wars and conflicts. We know from history that country borders and alliances changed every time the wind blew. This long history provides individuals with many options to provide living history experiences.

10. Men and women join re-enactment groups because:

It gives them a chance to spend time with like-minded people on a hobby they enjoy. Re-enactors also wish to honor, educate, and remember the sacrifices of our men and women who liberated their countries.

Have I missed anything you feel people should know about European re-enactment groups? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

I am taking new clients at this time if you are interested in working with a researcher to pull records for any military branch. I’m also scheduling speaking appearances in Europe for 2017. Please contact me if your group is interested in a program. I have seven to choose from on my website.

© 2016 World War II Research and Writing Center

Book Review – Army Service Forces Catalog Government Issue Collector’s Guides Volumes 1 and 2

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Every trip I take to Europe provides multiple article and book ideas. It also provides a great deal of education for my work. I learn so many things I didn’t already know. The things there are to learn about World War II (only focusing on the American participation) are endless. Why do I leave with article and book ideas? Because I see so many incredible things, meet new people who do World War II research, and am engaged to a man who has a lot of really cool World War II books I do not have in my library. So many books…..so little time when I’m here to go through them all. He is also a 101st Airborne re-enactor, which adds a new dimension to the work I do and education I receive. govt-issue-imageThere are two books I must recommend to anyone:
  • Doing World War II research for their family and want to see if the items you have in the family are from World War II.
  • Doing research for a town or a memorial.
  • For re-enactment purposes
  • These books are especially important if you are putting together any type of exhibit for the public.
These books are by Henri-Paul Enjames, Army Service Forces Catalog Government Issue U.S. Army European Theater of Operations Collector’s Guide. There are two volumes because the author could not put them both into one book. Why do you need these books?
  • The books are broken into many chapters which include Wartime Draft, Training Camps, Uniforms, Insignia and Decorations, Personnel Chapters (with uniform examples), POWs, Trophies and Souvenirs, Sports and Recreation, Chaplains, Female Personnel, and much more.
  • There are large photographs, each captioned, with what the item is and sometimes when it was in use.
  • The photographs are in color so you can see what the soldiers were wearing, using, and what families received (VMail, cards, fountain pens and ink, etc.) How often do we see a color photograph of World War II and feel it is somehow “wrong” because we are so conditioned to seeing film footage and photos in black and white?
  • There are uniforms, helmets, bags, boots, shoes, socks, underwear, and other items a soldier might have worn. You may have some of these items at home.
  • There are examples of papers, books, wallets, fountain pen and ink, tags, and other paper related objects which soldiers may have used or been issued.
  • You will learn what kinds of products they used for shaving, smoking, health care (teeth and body), and to keep their weapons and equipment in good working order.
  • There are examples of equipment used, rations given, rifles and other guns and ammunition issued to soldiers.
  • Finally, you can learn about your specific section of the Army – Chaplain, Engineers, Airborne, Infantry, Medical. There are chapters for those and more.
These books have so much information, it is impossible to cover it all in one article. I encourage you to order your own copies or see if your local library has them to borrow. The items in these books will provide more context about the life your soldier lived during World War II, through what he wore, used in combat, ate, wrote with and on, and how he was trained. This is information you may not get out of Morning Reports, After Action Reports, or his OMPF. Those are our usual “go-to” sources for beginning research. Yet there is still so much more to learn. Do you know of other collector’s guides on the market? Any for the Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, or Merchant Marines? We’d love to know about other guides you have found useful.

Can I help you with your research?

Are you ready to learn the bigger picture of your family member’s military service? Email us at info@wwiirwc.com to set up your free phone consultation today to discuss project options, fees, and time. You can also sign-up for our free newsletter and receive the Start Writing Your Military Story Today free! Are you following Jennifer and all her work on all her social media sites? Click the link to learn more and find different content. © 2016 World War II Research and Writing Center

Book Review – Orange is the Color of the Day

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orange-is-the-color-of-the-day-coverSo many World War II books, not enough hours in the day to look at them all! Do you ever feel that way?

If you are interested in the history of the Airborne in Holland during World War II, the book Orange is the Color of the Day. Pictorial History of the 101st Airborne Division During the Liberation of Holland by Peter Hendrikx and Michel De Trez, is a must have book!

The author, Peter Hendrikx, from Eindhoven, explains his fascination with the 101st Airborne, which began with some photographs his father took during the war. Over the course of his life, he began researching more and searching for one photograph which was lost after the few photos his father took were submitted to a newspaper for printing with a war dairy. After connecting with Michel De Trez, a 101st photograph expert, he was eventually able to find a copy of the lost photo. This began a journey into documenting the story of the Liberation of Holland for these two men.

The book contains a lot of history of the Airborne taken from books written by veterans, some 101st Airborne Historians, and other sources. There is no bibliography of sources used, but each paragraph or photo has a short citation. I’m guessing if one really wanted to know more, they could contact the authors and inquire.

The book is over 555 pages and contains hundreds of photographs. All the photographs are sourced, most being from personal collections. A few from Army Signal Corps photos. Unfortunately, the Army Signal Corps photos do not have any reference number so a researcher could go into the National Archives to view them with others taken at the same time.  The photographs are not small, but take up 1/4 – to almost an entire page. The book itself is over a foot tall and slightly less wide. There are views of soldiers walking through towns, Dutch citizens welcoming liberators, German prisoners, maps, and more.

If you are searching for an incredible resource for the 101st Airborne, you should check out this book.

What great pictorial histories about World War II have you read and can recommend to our readers?

© 2016 World War II Research and Writing Center

Book Review – Things We Couldn’t Say

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things-we-couldnt-say-coverLast month I was at the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Springfield, IL and stopped in Prairie Archives, a used bookstore. There I found a few World War II books I had not read, including one called, Things We Couldn’t Say, which is set in the Netherlands during World War II. I started reading the book and brought it with me to the Netherlands, where I’ve been the last two weeks.

This book really grabbed my attention not only because I spend a great deal of time in the Netherlands, my second home, but because I don’t know a lot about the Resistance movement here during the war. Also, I’m a spiritual person and the more I got to know Diet through the book, the more I felt a connection to her. Interestingly enough, last week I met a woman whose great grandfather was active in the Resistance and her family’s story is incredible. Makes me wonder how many other Dutch families have similar stories but are not talking about them.

During the war, many individuals took it upon themselves to do something, anything, to fight the Germans and what they were doing to people in occupied countries. Diet and Hein, a Dutch couple, chose to join the Resistance and help hide Jews, deliver ration cards and fake identification cards, bike or walk miles every day across the country while often in great danger, to deliver items or transport Jews to hiding places.

I won’t give away the story or the ending, but having traveled across the Netherlands quite a bit the last two years, I’m amazed at what Diet and Hein did – on foot or by bike – to help the movement. The distances they traveled often take at least an hour or more by car today. Imagine going those distances by foot or bike with worn out shoes, light clothing because things were rationed and worn out, or always in fear the Germans would take your bike or worse – kill you. Then imagine it is the Hunger Winter of 1945 in the northern part of the Netherlands where food is scarce and people are dying by the hundreds every week.

Both Diet and Hein were arrested during the war and Diet described their confinement through the letters they wrote and her diary. Several other members of their Resistance group were arrested and killed. In some instances during the war, it becomes a case of “What Would You Do?” Continue to fight in any way you can or give up?

I encourage everyone to read this book and consider what life was like for those involved in the Resistance during the war. Consider how the work they did, trials they endured, and suffering, changed them over time and for the rest of their lives. This book will also give you a deeper look into Dutch history during the war, the countryside, what life was like for rural and urban families, and a glimpse into the strong faith of those involved.

My challenge to you: Dig into your family history and see what stories you have from World War II that have gone untold and bring them out into the light.

Have you read any good books about the Dutch during World War II? Please share in the comments.

© 2016 World War II Research and Writing Center

 

Honoring Service – Living History in the Netherlands

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Operation Market Garden Anniversary

This weekend I went to Son, Netherlands, to watch my fiancé participate in his 101st Airborne re-enactment group for the anniversary of Operation Market Garden. This was the first time I had seen him participate and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had never been to a re-enactment in the U.S. and while I had seen photos of my fiancé’s group, being there live and in person, was a whole different experience.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOn Friday 16 September, his group plus several others set up a WWII Airborne Combat Camp on the edge of the town of Son, a short walk from the old Town Hall and main street, where fighting took place. By the time we arrived, several tents, vehicles, and a lot of equipment had been set up on the grounds. The idea was to show visitors and school children, what a camp, Aid Station, Field Hospital, vehicles, guns, and life was like during this time in September 1944.

Several school groups came through the camp Friday afternoon to visit. Each child received a booklet with questions to answer. The kids had to go from tent to tent, talking to the soldiers and asking questions. Maybe the “best” question was in the medic’s area. Children had to ask about the “miracle medicine.” When they did, they received some of this medicine – a chocolate bar.

On Saturday 17 September, moson-airborne-market-garden-16st of the re-enactors were there by early morning. After breakfast I walked through town and saw men arriving at the bridge, which the Germans blew up. A lot of fighting took place there. Walking down the main street it was common to spot Airborne troopers walking in small groups on patrol, jeeps and other vehicles riding on the roads, even the ambulance was picking up the wounded.

No battles were fought and no blank ammunition fired, as that was not allowed, but each group designated one person to be the wounded man so he could be picked up and taken to the field hospital where a nurse and surgeon were waiting. Near the Old Town Hall, I almost walked past a group of soldiers sitting in a circle “dug into” the group.

While the men were doing their thing on Saturday, a couple of the wives of my fiancé’s re-enactor friends, took me for a ride in a WWII jeep around Son and Best, to see WWII sites. I saw the Temporary American Cemetery at Son, which after the war, when the graves were disinterred, became a corn field again. I saw the Joe Mann Memorial. Joe was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of several men. Mann was wounded and when a grenade landed in his foxhole, he threw himself on top of it. Mann was killed, but his buddies survived. I also saw the Drop Zones and Glider Landing Areas, now corn fields for the most part. There are monuments at each site. It was quite an educational afternoon.

Honoring Service Through Re-Enactment (Living History)

What many Americans don’t know is …… Europeans honor the service of our American WWII soldiers not only by adopting their graves and showing their respects during the year, but also through re-enactment. I’ve spoken to many Americans about re-enactment, because in the U.S. we see a lot of Civil War and Revolutionary War re-enactment. I hear a lot of comments to the effect, ‘It’s a lot of old guys dressed up playing war.’ Yet, when we see re-enactment of people like Abraham Lincoln walking around Springfield, IL or colonists at Williamsburg, we see and classify that not as re-enactment, but living history.

Jennifer meets Jim "Pee Wee" Martin at the camp.
Jennifer meets Jim “Pee Wee” Martin at the camp.

What if we changed our perspective? What would we see then?

  • An opportunity to see, outside a museum, the uniforms and gear an Airborne soldier or medic carried.
  • An opportunity to talk to the re-enactors and learn the history of the area, battle, or war. These men not only dress as an Airborne Trooper, but know the history of the unit the re-enact. Since they live in or near the areas where these battles were fought, they are excellent resources for boots on the ground knowledge. I tell people when I lecture, that these are the people you want to connect with in Europe if you plan to walk in your soldier’s footsteps. These are the people who know a lot about the battles and can show you places your soldier fought, and sometimes, died.
  • When battles are re-enacted, you get to experience what it might have been like as a town was taken. Often the groups re-enact with American and German forces.
  • A chance to go back in time and sit and observe life in a combat camp or life during the war in a town.
  • You might meet World War II veterans! During the major battle or campaign anniversaries, large groups of veterans and their families come to Europe to see where they fought, where their buddies died, and some are still buried. I had the honor of meeting Jim “Pee Wee” Martin Saturday, when his convoy of jeeps and trucks, pulled into the camp.
  • American dignitaries, ambassadors, and active military personnel attend these events. You might connect with someone from the U.S. who can help move your research forward.

Whatever you think you know about re-enacting, I ask you to reconsider your view and give it a try if you have the opportunity. You might meet interesting, knowledgeable people, and learn many things about your soldier’s service.

Want to learn more?

Want to know more about Living History groups in Europe? Read the latest issues of Drop Zone Magazine. You’ll find an article in there about my WWII research books also!

I am taking new clients at this time if you are interested in working with a researcher to pull records for any military branch. I’m also scheduling speaking appearances in Europe for 2017. Please contact me if your group is interested in a program. I have seven to choose from on my website.

© 2016 World War II Research and Writing Center

Honoring Service Resources – 36th Infantry Division Reports and Photographs

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Many people seek unit level reports, preferably online rather than in archives, and many World War II reunion groups are digitizing these types oHonoring Service Resourcesf materials. Did you know that military museums are also digitizing materials like this for researchers?

The Texas Military Forces Museum has digitized several reports for the 36th Infantry Division. The museum is working toward digitizing more materials so check back regularly to see if they have any other information you can use.

Do you know of other museums digitizing unit level records? Please share with us in the comments.

I am taking new clients at this time if you are interested in working with a researcher to pull records for any military branch. I’m also scheduling speaking appearances in Europe for 2017. Please contact me if your group is interested in a program. I have seven to choose from on my website.

© 2016 World War II Research and Writing Center

Honoring Service Resources – Missouri History Museum Photographs

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james-obituary-editedNewspapers are an incredible resource to find photographs and information about WWII soldiers, sailors, and Marines. When I was at the FGS Conference two weeks ago, I spoke to Dennis Northcott, the Associate Archivist for Reference at the Missouri History Museum Library and Research Center. He told me a little about the WWII holdings at the Library and Research Center. I plan to visit the Museum and Library later this year and provide more information on the holdings.

For those looking for photographs of St. Louis, Missouri soldiers, sailors, and Marines, you might explore the following collections.

St. Louis in World War II Casualties, October 1941-March 1943, scrapbook

St. Louis in World War II, 1940-1944, scrapbooks

The collections are described as:

Scrapbook contains newspaper clippings regarding World War II casualties clipped from several St. Louis newspapers, primarily the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Many articles describe the circumstances in which the soldier was killed, wounded, captured, or reported missing. Names of relatives of military personnel that are mentioned in the articles have also been indexed (perhaps more than half of the names indexed are not soldiers). Some articles are accompanied by a photograph of the soldier or sailor. The scrapbook includes some articles regarding soldiers killed or injured in the U.S. while not on duty, and articles regarding nurses, missionaries, and civilians who were captured or killed.

Want to know more? Check out the 742 page Guide to the Archival Collections.

Contact Information:

Archives Department
Missouri History Museum Library and Research Center
P.O. Box 11940 St. Louis, MO 63112-0040

Do you know of another repository that has a great newspaper collection? Please share the information in the comments.

I am taking new clients at this time if you are interested in working with a researcher to pull records for any military branch. I’m also scheduling speaking appearances in Europe for 2017. Please contact me if your group is interested in a program. I have seven to choose from on my website.

© 2016 World War II Research and Writing Center

Honoring Service Resources – Identifying Those Unidentified Photos

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james-privoznik-outside-barracks
James Privoznik in unidentified location.

Last week at the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, I met Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective. If you are involved in the American genealogy community, you know who she is. If you are a WWII researcher in Europe, then you probably have no idea who she is. But you should! Maureen has incredible skills identifying photographs. Please visit her website and see what grabs you. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot.

Maureen shared with me two of her WWII posts, in which she asks for help identifying a couple of women. You can read them both here. I’m hoping some of the people who read my website and focus on WWII, can help her.

kp-duty-editedReading her posts today inspired me to write this post and explain how I identified and told the story of an album full of unidentified WWII (?) photographs. If you have heard my “Stories of the Lost” program, I explain how I was giving a big bag of stuff when I was researching my cousin James Privoznik’s WWII service. In that bag was a photo album of seemingly WWII-era photos, all unidentified. The photos in this article are all from that album.

How did I do this? How did I identify the photos and tell James’ story?

The photos look like James is in some sort of an Army uniform. In some photos he is on KP duty, peeling potatoes. In others, he’s doing work.

The buildings do not necessarily look like barracks used during the war, but there is uniformity which made me believe he was somewhere in an Army-created environment.

mountain-sideI knew James had trained at Camp Butner, NC because I had a longyard photo of his unit. Christmas Eve 2013, I discovered Camp Butner had created the Camp Butner Society. I contacted the Society to ask if someone would look at some of the photos and tell me if they were taken at Camp Butner. The answer was, No. The photos were not taken there. The environment was too mountainous.

Now what?

guys-in-two-rows-for-bookI contacted my colleague Paul Grasmehr at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago, where I visit often, to research. Paul knows everything and everyone it seems. He is almost always able to give me an answer to any question I ask.

james-in-uniformPaul told me it looked like a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp. The Army used these camps after the CCC shut down its program, to train soldiers during the war. He said he’d pull a book for me on my next visit. So in January 2014, I sat in the library looking at all these photos from James’ album, plus the CCC book, and the CCC website. I went back and forth trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Thankfully James was helping me out because he pushed me to take another look at his Army photo in uniform.

Guess what I noticed!

James looks younger in the unidentified photos than he does in his Army uniform photo. So what does that possibly mean? James wasn’t training at a CCC Camp during WWII – he worked for the CCC prior to the war!

Well, I got very excited and ran to find Paul and Teri, both staff members at the library and tell them what I thought! It was possible! And those records for the CCC are at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis! I called my researcher on-site there and asked him to put in a request. They are supposed to search those records by Social Security Number and Name. I gave all that information plus more and off we went.

A month later, my researcher told me there were no CCC records for James. Ummmmm what? No. I was not wrong about this. I knew without a doubt there were records. So I asked him to spell James’ last name PRIVOZNIK rather than PROVOZNIK and search again. Within two hours I had 12 pages of CCC records placing James in their employment the end of 1939 in Washington State!

The moral of the story…….NEVER give up on trying to identify your photos. There is someone somewhere who knows the answer.

For all the WWII researchers and European grave adopters who come across photos through various avenues, please don’t give up when you find photos that are not labeled. Post them on your website or blog, share them on Facebook and LinkedIn, or Instagram or other social media sharing ways. Someone has an answer for you. It might take a while, but you’ll usually get one.

Have you had success identifying unidentified WWII photos? Please share with us in the comments.

*Added 15 Oct 2018: Digitized CCC Newspapers Courtesy of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Also, CCC camp papers through the Center for Research Libraries in Chicago. Research on CCC Camp or Enrollees.

I am taking new clients at this time if you are interested in working with a researcher to pull records for any military branch. I’m also scheduling speaking appearances in Europe for 2017. Please contact me if your group is interested in a program. I have seven to choose from on my website.

© 2018 World War II Research and Writing Center