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.