The next step to finding your father's war - hit the National Archives

Research — military history research — may not sound exciting, bringing to mind dusty, aged tomes that deal with past wars and days gone by. But imagine, as you thumb through those worn and often ragged pages, suddenly coming upon a familiar name in the U.S. Army Morning Reports — your own father's name.

 

If you've already interviewed your father or other veteran, you know about his or her* military life: where he fought, his rank, and something about the experiences he had. Unfortunately, it may be too late for a personal interview, especially with a veteran of the Second World War. You're left to do your own investigation. In my blog last week, I outlined steps you can take to dip into this research, and so now you're ready to tackle Big Research — the National Archives. If you're anything like me, just naturally inquisitive, this part is fascinating.

 

The National Archives is a terrific place to do this detective work. Try to spend a few days at the Archives in College Park, Maryland (just a stone's throw from D.C.). If you can't do that, quite a bit of information is still available to you online. Just go to http://www.archives.gov/veterans and start there. Be sure to check out the brochure for World War II veterans. 

 

But there's something deeply satisfying about burrowing down in one of those desks, settling in to touch and leaf through original World War II documents. The papers you hold were written in the midst of the chaos of battle. 

Let's say your father's name is John Fine. You know his Division and Company. While at the Archives, you can look for:

• Unit journals and histories
• After Action Reports
• Morning Reports
• Photos and movies
• Stars and Stripes (the daily newspaper published for the U.S. military)

 

Imagine that John Fine was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. You've learned, perhaps from the helpful people at the Archives, what dates encompassed that gruesome battle. Poring over Morning Reports and scanning pages full of names you don't recognize, you become a bit bleary-eyed. Then you see a familiar name — John Fine. It's quite a moment.

 

The Morning Reports also contain much more sobering information that you will see: the names of individuals who were killed in action or listed as missing in action, as well as wounded.

 

The first time I found my dad's name in the records, I encountered a yellowed sheet of paper dated November 10, 1944 and labeled "318th, E Company," listing:

Elvin William J Jr. (Inf) 1st Lt.

Above 2 O and 3 EM fr dy to LWA sk 305th Med Clr Sta. fr LWA sk 305th

Med Clr Sta to lost hosp as of 8 Nov 44.

 

Those abbreviations meant that Lt. Elvin had been wounded in action and was sent to the hospital.The feeling it gave me is hard to describe. The phrasing, "lost to hosp[ital]" seemed quaint yet chilling when connected with the bullet that took a portion of my father's forearm. The worn paper and the words on it brought me closer to imagining the pain, blood, and fear behind them.

Here's what the abbreviations stand for:

• O - officer
• EM - enlisted men
• Fr - from
• Dy- duty
• LWA - lightly wounded in action
• Sk - sick
• Med Clr Sta - Medical Clearing Station

If you follow these guidelines, you will see how to make historical research personal.

* I use the pronoun "his" when referring to combat veterans for several reasons. My book is about my father, who served in World War II, so my research centered on him and that time frame. But of course readers may be searching for women. I mainly use the masculine because women will only rarely appear in the documents I reference. 

 

Take the first step to research your father's war - don't wait!

 

 

 

My father, 1st Lt. William J. Elvin

Company E, 318th Infantry Regiment,

80th Infantry Division

Served in the European Theater of Operations 1944-45.

 

 

 

"To understand your father, you need to understand his war" was the title of my last blog. But how do you go about acquiring that understanding?

 

If you are fortunate and your father is still alive, I suggest that you take the time to ask him to share his war remembrances. Then sit back and listen. Videotape the conversation, or at least use a tape recorder.

 

Time to do this is running out. Veterans of World War II are leaving us at a rate of around 1200 per day, and those who remain are all over 80 years of age. Once he has passed away, the opportunity will be lost to you.

 

The conversation may change your life — for my part, opening up this subject let me see a vulnerable young man who'd endured things I'd had no idea about, other than in the abstract. While his recollections have historical significance, they will also allow you to share some moments you may treasure in later years.

 

You need only a few things to get started:

 

·      A tape recorder or video recorder

·      A list of questions

·      A dash of curiosity and patience

 

For your first interview, or conversation, concentrate on the basics:

 

·      In what branch of the service did he serve? And where?

·      What was his rank?

·      In what unit did he serve - Division, Regiment, Company? (While these sometimes changed during the course of the war, a combat veteran will identify with the unit he did combat with.)

·      Was he awarded any medals or decorations? What were the circumstances?

·      In what campaigns did he participate?

 

Even if he's been reluctant in the past to talk about the war, your father may be more willing now that he sees his life coming to a close.

 

A complete list of questions can be found at the Veterans History Project, a project of the Library of Congress.

 

Jonathan Gawne, in his wonderful book about Finding Your Father's War: A Practical Guide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War II US Army, makes a point worth remembering: "Not every soldier fought on the front line. Do not be discouraged if your father wasn't a paratrooper at Normandy or a tank commander at Bastogne. Truth is always more interesting than fiction, and every task in the Army was an important one in supporting the final victory over the Axis."

 

         By preserving your father's memories, you are giving a gift to yourself, your family and your descendants. You are treating his service and his experiences, the good and the bad, with respect. It's a wonderful way for you to honor him.

To understand your father, understand his war

Hi, I'm Jan Elvin. Welcome to my first blog! I'm glad you're here. Your probably visiting because you've looked at the website for my book, a book I wrote to uncover the secrets of war that my father kept hidden, but also out of a longing to understand him better. The book's title is The Box from Braunau: In Search of My Father's War. There's a story behind the box from Braunau, of course, but it's the subtitle — the in search of — that leads you to the deeper meaning of the story.

About me:

I live in Washington, DC, which gives me the chance to do two things I love: ride my bike and walk along the river or canal. I'm married to a human rights lawyer and am the mother of a grown son and four step-daughters.

After spending the last several years digging around the in the National Archives and through family records, I finally learned what caused the nightmares Dad brought back from the war. 

About my father:

First Lieutenant Bill Elvin fought in the 80th Infantry Division during World War II under General George S. Patton in Europe. He was wounded by a sniper firing from a church tower in France, and was later awarded a Silver Star for gallantry in action.

He and my mother moved to the Washington, DC  area in 1946 where he worked in the newspaper business as a reporter and editor.

I wanted to know what happened to my father during World War II, but it was his "inner war" that intrigued me. The memories of combat and concentration camps plagued him throughout his entire life, straining family harmony.

What I'd like to do here:

• Extend a hand to any family member of a combat veteran
• Give tips on how to break the long silence between soldier and family
• Provide insight to women/girls navigating relationships with their fathers
• Illustrate how you can explore your family's military history
• Deliver to you the latest research on issues of concern to veterans
• Post news items and reviews of books relating to veterans
• Show you how to contact other veterans and veterans' families
• Make this a place to share your experiences as a soldier, veteran, family member

I'm writing this blog to and for you, the child of the World War II veteran, 

but it could just as easily be to those of you who are veterans of any war, 

or to you, the spouse or the parent ofthe soldier. I'd love to add your voices

to this blog — I care about what you have to say andothers will, too.

The Box from Braunau will be published in May 2009 by AMACOM.

Copyright 2009 by Jan Elvin. All rights reserved.