The relatives of other veterans have told me, that unlike my Dad, many of their relative’s didn’t talk about their World War II experience. Consequently, they knew very little about their relative’s War service. But they were curious to find out more. Like me, they wanted to “connect the dots” and understand more about what a particular veteran went through. Subsequently, some have asked me how I conducted my research. Therefore, in this post I’ll provide some tips for researching a veteran’s War Service.
Discovering More About a Veteran’s World War II Service
Since I was very young, my Dad told me stories of his experience in World War II. He wasn’t specific about a lot of the historical details. But at least I knew a few key things:
- Dad served in the U.S. Army.
- He served under General MacArthur in the War in the Pacific.
- His unit was deployed to Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines.
- He was in some combat situations.
- His unit was planning to be part of the invasion of Japan, but the War ended and he came home.
Questions Driving My Research
Through the years my Dad shared many of his most interesting War experiences. But years later I had many questions about his World War II service. For example, why was he in the Philippines? When was he there? And, if he was in an Army Medical unit, why did he tell stories about being under attack by the Japanese? Ultimately I wanted to connect his stories to their historical context. Also I wanted to know what was significant about his service. Consequently, what I found out through five years of research was even more remarkable than his stories indicated.
Embarking on Your Research Journey
So, maybe you’re also wanting to research a veteran’s war service. Be prepared, the research journey will take you down many paths. For starters, I strongly suggest that you keep a spreadsheet that lists all of the reference sources you come across (e.g., identify the date located, type of reference, a brief description, online links, etc.). Granted, it’s easy to get lost in the vast amount of detail as you search through and peel back the layers.
Establishing a Timeline
Also, I’d recommend constructing a timeline of the veteran’s service interspersed with the dates of key historical events. The timeline provides perspective and context. Likewise, it will help knit together the individual pieces you collect (e.g., the key events, letters, photos, maps, etc.) into a complete story. Also it will expose gaps in your information that you’ll want to try to address. But before you start your own research journey you’ll need to gather some basic information.
The Top 10 Resources for Researching a Veteran’s War Service
Below I’ve listed the top 10 resources for researching a veteran’s War service:
- Official Documents
- Personal Correspondence
- Photos & Artifacts
- Unit Histories
- Blogs & Social Media
- Library & Museum Archives
- Books & Maps
- Magazine & Newspaper Articles
- Interviews
Next, I’ll discuss each of these in the sections that follow and provide references for getting more information.
1. Official Documents
Fortunately, my Dad, being an accountant, kept meticulous records. Consequently, I ended up with a fireproof box where he kept a number of manila folders. The folders included many obscure things, like the instruction manual for his Bell & Howell 8mm movie projector, receipts for decades of oil changes, and the warranty for the 1950’s GE refrigerator which he always referred to as the “ice box”. But one folder, marked “Army Records”, proved invaluable to my research. Most importantly, it contained a copy of his Military Service Record.
The Key Document to Assist in Researching a Veteran’s War Service
The most important document to assist in researching a veteran’s war service is the Military Service Record. The document provides key information about a veteran’s time in the military. Below I’ll describe the key sections and how they helped guide me to additional information.
Heading Section
The heading section shown below provides the veteran’s serial number, rank at separation, arm or service branch, and organization or unit name. The arm and organization provide key “search” criteria for connecting to historical data and with others who served in the same unit.
Military History Section
The Military History section provides a wealth of information regarding a veteran’s activities during the War. Battles and Campaigns are identified by region and an official code. The military based eligibility for general Decorations and Citations on the campaigns participated in. In particular, details regarding the veteran’s active tour of duty help in assembling the veteran’s timeline.
Remarks Section
The Remarks section identifies any special decorations and honors received. Also it identifies the all-important Advanced Service Rating (ASR) score. Consequently the score determined the veteran’s priority for returning home. Scoring was based upon the length of time served, family status and any honors received.
Separation or Discharge Documents
Separation or discharge documents also provide clues to key dates, locations, training received, and duties performed. Maybe you’ll come across some surprising details. For example, I never knew that my Dad was trained in field medicine and surgery, plus dental and veterinary field service. Although I do remember that, unlike my Mom, he didn’t panic the multiple times I came home bleeding from some mishap!
Requesting Official Records
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the official repository for Federal military service records. Military service records from WW I through the present (depending on the service branch) are held at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis. A request for records can be submitted online.
Patience & Persistence Required
There are a number of guides for how to obtain service and discharge records (see the References section below). Patience, persistence, and a bit of luck may be required to your search. In July 1973, a fire destroyed millions of records at NARA in St. Louis. As a result, an estimated 80 percent of U.S. Army personnel records were permanently lost. The staff at NARA in St. Louis may be able to provide some information on veterans using other sources. However, Marine Corps and Navy records were not impacted by the fire.
The Quality of Records
Another caution, you may discover discrepancies or missing details in official records. As you can see these forms were originally typed by clerks processing millions of men and women who were leaving the service after the War. As a result, the quality of records may vary. In my case, I found that the quality of my Dad’s record was very good.
2. Personal Correspondence
There’s nothing better than having actual letters sent home by veterans of World War II. These provide an “in the moment” window into the thoughts, fears, and trials of those serving in the War. Many great memoirs have been published based upon collections of letters sent home. Fortunately, the letters that some veterans sent home were stashed away in a box in an attic and not lost forever. For instance, listed below are published memoirs based on letters sent home. Particularly, these two were very relevant to my research:
- Sharpe, Dr. George. Brothers Beyond Blood: A Battalion Surgeon in the South Pacific. Austin, TX: Diamond Books, 1989.
- Pullman, Sally Hitchcock. Letters Home: Memoirs of One Army Nurse in the Southwest Pacific in World War II. Author House, 2004.
Discovering Historical Context from Correspondence
Besides being the most personal source of information, letters also reveal interesting insights into places, people, and events that were experienced. Letters sent home were censored, so some of the letters you have might have blacked-out sections. As we look back in hindsight it’s easy to forget that the outcome of the War was very uncertain. At the time, many back home faced the fear that the letter they received from a loved one might be the last.
Filling in the Blanks
A friend of mine, Dick Titterington, began researching his father’s World War II service. Fortunately for him, his mother kept a scrapbook that included the letters his Dad sent home, official documents, and many photographs. Although this was a wealth of information, Dick found that there were still a lot of gaps regarding the specific details of his father’s service. Recently, he described his approach for “filling in the gaps”:
I became a history detective of sorts. During my research I discovered what a typical draftee did when he reported for service and went through basic training. I have found first person accounts of other soldiers who went through a similar series of events my father did. Hopefully my powers of deduction have resulted in a smooth narrative about my father’s service.
Dick Titterington, aka. the Civil War Muse (*see reference below).
Looking Up Military Addresses
For tracing correspondence, Dick recommended a helpful resource on the Web. It’s the Numerical Listing of APO’s (January 1942 – November 1947. Washington, D.C., US Adjutant-General’s Office, 1949). The guide cross-references Army Post Office Numbers (APOs) with physical locations of the Army Postal Service.
Filling in a Timeline
My Dad’s folders contained both personal and official letters and telegrams. The personal ones provided an intimate glimpse into the feelings shared between Mom and Dad through these challenging times. Also, official telegrams were sent home to announce Dad’s promotions. These provided insight into dates and locations for the timeline I collected.
Dad’s Basic Training Letter
One interesting official letter may have been one of the first my Mom received as Dad arrived at basic training. It provides the details of his training agenda. Also, there’s some very touching notes about “homesickness” and “apprehension” from the Commanding Officer. But, I expect that Dad, being 27 at the time, might not have had the same issues with homesickness as those much younger who were away from home for the first time.
3. Photos & Artifacts
When researching a veteran’s War service, their personal photos can be a valuable source of information. If you’re fortunate to have a set of photos, they can provide clues to where they were, when they were there, and what they did. Photos mailed home during the War were also censored by officers. For example, the troops were restricted from referencing specific places, full names of people, or anything else that would provide possible intelligence to the enemy. If you’re fortunate, maybe your relative made some annotations after the War to fill in details. If not, you can look for the valuable clues in photos. This includes geographical features, the nationality of native people, signage, insignias, etc.
Dealing with Poor Photo Quality
Dad captured many photos from the War. One very frustrating thing for me was my parent’s practice of gluing photos on paper! I made many searches online for techniques to melt glue from the backs of photos. Later, when I was able to “free” the photo below from the clutches of ancient glue, I was pleased to find my Dad’s concise note on the back, “Landing on Leyte”. This captured a poignant moment when the 44th landed on the beach during the Leyte invasion. Granted, this photo is not very clear. A possible issue with photos from the Pacific Theatre was that the heat, humidity and salt air may have taken a toll on their quality.
Investing in a Photo Scanner
One of the best investments I made was a photo scanner from Sharper Image. Most importantly, I was able to capture photos that I couldn’t pry off the paper without inflicting damage. Also, these photos can now be preserved in a digital format and not be left to fade away or get lost.
Insight from Artifacts
The artifacts that my Dad brought home also provided insights into key events of his service. Dad kept his uniforms, insignia, service bars, weapons, and coinage. Most importantly, these were symbols of the people he engaged with and the places he visited. My particular curiosity about three of these items led me to research their significance in my Dad’s war experience.
There were also the artifacts that stirred my young imagination. His helmet, uniforms, an M1 rifle, bayonets, and the colorful battle ribbons. Three items intrigued me the most. They included a Japanese sword, a Filipino bolo knife, and a strange insignia with a pair of coiled snakes. The insignia was a caduceus, the symbol of the Army Medical Corps. These three items represent the defining event described in this book, The Battle of Buffalo Wallow.
Preface – The Battle of Buffalo Wallow
Decorations Received
Dad returned from the War with his battle ribbons. But I don’t think that he ever received his medals. Medals were not likely to be in a veteran’s possession immediately after the War. Most medals were not produced until years later due to material shortages. But today, from the description of eligible medals on the Service Record, you can order replicas from the U.S. military or from an online site like Medals of America.
Interpreting Battle Ribbons
Battle ribbons relate to the Campaigns listed on the Service Record. There are guides to interpret the designation represented by the color bars. Below is an interpretation of one of Dad’s service ribbons. Based upon the colors, from left to right these represent the Philippine Liberation Medal Ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal Ribbon, and the World War II Victory Medal Ribbon. Additionally, Dad had two bronze service stars on the ribbon which indicated experience in combat engagements. Similarly, if there’s an arrowhead on the ribbon it indicates participation in an amphibious or airborne combat assault.
4. Unit Histories
Some surviving World War II veteran’s groups created websites or published books on their unit histories. However, this is “hit or miss”. Also, it depends upon whether or not someone in the unit took the time to collect and publish information. And some unit histories are published on various government-sponsored websites such as the World War II U.S. Army Medical Research Centre. Also, a good resource is “Campaign Histories” published by the U.S. Army Center of Military History. These are available online as web pages or downloadable pdfs.
5. Blogs & Social Media
Blogs and social media sites provide an opportunity to connect with veteran histories or relatives of veterans. In my case, I was able to connect with the children of veterans who served with my Dad. Of course Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn all provide great opportunities to connect with others who share an interest in researching a veteran’s War service. Likewise, you can email possible contacts to see if they would be willing to talk and share information.
On a more somber note, I’ve located the online obituaries of some of the veterans that served with my Dad. The life stories of these veterans were very interesting. Many had very special accomplishments in their lifetimes, which was very gratifying to read about. Also, their children’s names and locations were often listed. Once again, I’d caution that some may be interested in making a contact and others may not.
6. Library & Museum Archives
Since last year, the pandemic has shut down physical access to most government facilities. Instead, many libraries offer access to online resources. In fact, some have indexed their archives and may be able to scan and email documents to you for a nominal fee. Additionally, national and state museums may house significant archives related to your relative’s War service.
National Museum of the Pacific War
Recently, my wife and I enjoyed a visit to the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX. It had great exhibits and the staff was very helpful. Also, the museum started a “Sons & Daughters” program that you can sign up for. Periodically, they publish a newsletter with many interesting stories and a schedule of planned events (although mostly online for now). And, Fredericksburg is a great Texas Hill Country town with live music, German food and beer gardens. Additionally, it has a number of quaint B&Bs. Overall, the museum was well worth the visit.
Research Services Offered at the National WWII Museum
The National World War II Museum in New Orleans has a wealth of research material and dedicated staff members to help you in your search for information on a veteran’s War service. Some of the services are free, but the museum also offers research services for a fee. Actually, the cost may be worth it. For sure, the time and expertise required to navigate military records and interpret the jargon can be intimidating.
7. Books & Maps
Thousands of books have been written on just about every aspect of World War II, the largest conflict the world has ever known. Incredibly, Amazon lists over 70,000 titles. Many historians have done the difficult research to document the battles, the people, the geography, the weapons, tactics, and countless veteran’s stories. Also, many veterans have published memoirs. Through these you can gain various first-hand perspectives of the War.
Discovering Historical Context
In my case, I was able to find references for the major campaigns my Dad was in. These included the context of specific battles he took part in and first-hand accounts of life in the Army Medical Corps. From a number of books, I was able to connect the historical context to the stories he told. Of course you need enough basic facts to help you search through book descriptions and indexes for relevant matches.
Military Maps
Military maps can provide a wealth of information. But, to locate maps you need to know specific military unit designations, battles, dates, and locations. For instance, the map below identifies the key battles described in my book that took place between Dec. 6th and 11th, 1944. The main event described is the Japanese Army’s combined infantry and paratrooper attack on Leyte. Although the position of U.S. service troops, including the 44th General Hospital, are not shown on the map (as noted in the map’s legend), the map helped me deduce the position of the hospital during the attacks (between the Buri and Bayug Airfields just east of the north-south Dagami-Burauen Road).
Interpreting Military Maps
Also, the symbols on official military maps must be interpreted. No worries, there are many guides available to help you. Additionally, some are online (for example, this basic guide from the U.S. Army Center of Military History). From the guide, you can see that the rectangles with symbols and numbers represent specific units. For instance, the symbol inside the rectangle represents the type of unit. Also, the number on the left side identifies the unit designation and the number on the right side the parent unit. Finally, the symbol on top of the box represents the size of the unit (e.g., platoon, company, battalion, etc.).
Applying the Guide to the Map Above
Note that the map is dated December 6th, 1944. At this time we can see that just north of the village of Burauen was Company E of the 152nd Airborne Antiaircraft Division. Additionally, elements (Elms) of the 767th Armored Battalion were there. Meanwhile, at San Pablo, the 1st Battalion of the 187th Airborne Glider Infantry Division, the 127th Airborne Engineering Battalion, and the Command Center of the 11th Airborne Infantry Division were positioned. Below the unit type, note the “gull wing” symbol. This identifies an airborne unit. In the distance to the east, note that the 674th Field Artillery Battalion, shown near the village of Julita, was sent to fight as infantry (“AS INF” in parenthesis). Granted, interpreting the symbols takes some practice.
Pacific Wrecks
I found the map shown above on the Pacific Wrecks website. The Pacific Wrecks organization is a non-profit dedicated to bringing home those Missing in Action (MIA). Also, they accept donations for the use of the site’s collection of official photographs and maps.
8. Magazine & Newspaper Articles
Many magazine and newspaper articles are now available online, at least in index form. Your local public library may have catalogs and archives that you can search. Newspapers.com is a subscription service that has a large database of publications you can search through. For example, I find it interesting to get the feel of the language and sentiment “of the moment”. Similarly, I like reading about the news as it was happening instead of getting a present day interpretation of historical events.
A few years ago, I came across a reference to an article published in Collier’s magazine that described the heroism of my father’s medical unit. Through the “magic” of eBay and other online collectibles sites, I was able to purchase an original copy of this World War II era publication (see below).
Norman T. Kirk, The Surgeon General of the Army, dated July 21, 1945.
9. Interviews
The surviving men and women who served in World War II are now in their late 80s and 90s. In fact, they are fading away at a rapid pace. According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, only 325,574 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II were still alive in 2020.
Talking to Surviving Relatives
When researching a veteran’s war service, a great resource can be other family members and friends who interacted with the veteran. You may have family members still living from the time period. If they are willing to talk about it, by all means see if they will share their memories in an interview. My Mom, although in her 90’s, could remember very specific details about the time period. Additionally, other close relatives who interacted with a veteran may have information. For example, there may be letters and photos sent to sisters or brothers that their kids or grandkids have now come across.
The Library of Congress Oral Histories
As a great public service, the Library of Congress provides a large number of oral histories from World War II veterans. In particular, it was awesome for me to hear the actual voices and stories from veterans who served with my Dad. I was able to find the recordings by searching the site for the unit name, “44th General Hospital”, and locations, “Leyte”, “Philippines”.
Library of Congress – Veterans History Project, http://www.loc.gov/vets/. Go to the Search Page and try different keywords combinations – https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/html/search/search.html.
10. Google
All of this leads to one of the best tools available for researching a veteran’s war service, the Google search engine. At first I wasn’t able to fully leverage the power of the search engine. However, my searches were more effective after I had the basic names, places, times, and facts in-hand as described in the previous nine sources. Every day, more and more World War II information is being published on the Web. As a result, you may just be a keyword away from connecting to your relative’s War history.
A Final Note on Researching a Veteran’s War Service
Researching a veteran’s war service can be an emotional journey. For some it can be an adventure in discovery. Granted, you will uncover information that will increase your understanding of your relative’s War experience. Also, some of your findings may even surprise you. On the other hand, the experience may be challenging emotionally, and possibly even disturbing for others. In the end you will better understand what your relative went through. One thing is for sure, you’ll not be the same for the experience. It will open up a new appreciation for what the “Greatest Generation” experienced. So, be prepared for the psychological aspects of the journey. Your findings may challenge any preconceived ideas that you held. Also, you may even encounter some deeply emotional moments along the way.
The Experience of Others on the Journey
Recently, a New York Times article described the experience of some veteran’s children as they tried to understand their father’s World War II service.
“We have people calling every day to try to find out about their fathers,” said Tanja Spitzer, a researcher at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. “They regret that they didn’t do anything when their parents were alive. We get a lot of apologizing about it. For them, it is very emotional.”
Tanja Spitzer, National World War II Museum, from nytimes.com article.
References
For more information, here’s a few books and references that I’d recommend to help you in your research:
Gawne, Jonathan. Finding Your Father’s War: A Practical Guide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War II U.S. Army. Havertown, PA and Oxford: Casemate, 2006.
Johnston, W. Wesley. Dad’s War: Finding and Telling Your Father’s World War II Story. Workshop Book, Wesley Johnston, 2014.
The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA offers a free “Research a Veteran Guide“. The purpose of this guide is to assist veterans and their families in obtaining copies of their military personnel files from the National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri.
As a result of my research journey, I recently published a book, The Battle of Buffalo Wallow. The book tells the previously unknown story of the 44th General Hospital and their experiences in the invasion of Leyte.
* Dick Titterington, aka. the Civil War Muse. Dick writes excellent Civil War histories and battlefield guides. His home page provides access to these resources.