Exploring Individual Military Service Webinar(Part 1 of the Research Process)

World War II research is surrounded by stories and myths which often give people the perception they cannot obtain any information about military service. What most people do not realize is military research should be done in two parts. What most people do not understand is when you take a unit from a discharge paper and assume that is the entire story, you end up wasting time and money. There is a correct way to conduct military service, whether it is WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam. This part 1 webinar will teach you the strategies, record locations, and how to put together a timeline of service, even if the records burned.

This 1.5 hour webinar will focus on what is available first at home and then within the archives and online repositories. You will learn how to put a timeline of service together, how to properly reconstruct military history, what can be found within service files and company-level types of records, and where else to look. At the end of this webinar you will have the tools to proceed to the next step in military research - contextual history.

Worksheets are provided to help guide your research project.

Exploring Military Service in Context (Part 2 of Military Research)

This is part 2 of the research strategy.

The next step after creating a timeline of military service and understanding through military records, what units your service member was in and where they were, is obtaining contextual documents.

Providing context through records, maps, diaries, and photographs will bring to life the story of your family member and help you better understand who they were.

These records may provide graphic details about battles fought, wounds received, and how men died. You may also learn interesting or fun facts about your service member or those with whom he served. All of these details create a story your family will not want to put down.

While this program is WWII-based, all strategies and record locations apply to WWI - Vietnam.

Worksheets are provided to help guide your research project.

Finding the Answers in the IDPF (online class)

The Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) is one of the vital record sets you need if your World War II, Korea, or Vietnam service member, for any branch, died while in military service or is still Missing In Action (MIA).

Are you ready to take a deep dive into these files? Your knowledge may also help someone else who is just starting their search!

Researching WWII Online Webinar

One place many people begin research for their World War II service member is online. While most of the records you need to reconstruct service history are not available online, you can find clues and unit or contextual information to add to your soldier’s story. Tools and strategies taught in this course will apply to WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam military research.

In this program, Jennifer will:

• Explain some myths and common questions about online research.
• Explain how to research using the collections on Ancestry.com and Fold3.com.
• Discuss other places you can find information online and how that can lead to offline resources.
• Explain where and how to connect with other researchers or European grave adopters.
• Discuss using social media to locate information.

The tips you learn in this program will help you with any digitized record set.

Finishing the Story Webinar

Finding the Answers Through WWII Writing (Online class)

Starting World War II Research Webinar

World War II research is surrounded by stories and myths which often give people the perception they cannot obtain any information about military service.

• Have you heard, ‘All the records burned!’

• Have you read on a website that you must be the next-of-kin to receive information?

• Do you think sending in one form to request records gives you everything available?

• Do you know there are additional records at NPRC, that staff will not search for you, that are required for Army and Army Air Forces research?

• Do you think starting your search in unit records will provide all the answers?

In this introductory course, you will learn everything you need to know to locate and document as much information as possible before you start requesting military records. This is especially important if your service member was in the Army or the Army Air Forces. Using WWII as a foundation, we will bust myths, tell stories that explain what is available and how you can get started on your own at home.

 Worksheets are provided to help guide your research project.

Military Research Worksheets

Within these 14 pages of worksheets, you will find a lot of resources and suggestions for starting your World War I, World War II, Korean War or Vietnam War Research projects. Worksheets include:

• Military Service Questionnaire
• Online Research Guide
• Source Worksheets
• Home Sources

Military Records you need & more!

Writing the Stories of War Ebook

While this book is WWII foundationally based, the writing prompts apply to any 20th century war.

The tools include:

1. Reasons to write the stories of war.
2. Tips to help you organize your thoughts and sources before you write.
3. Writing formulas to help you organize your stories.
4. More than 500 writing prompts covering multiple themes for writers in the U.S. and overseas.
5. Suggestions on how to share your stories on memorial websites and through books.
6. Additional resources for writing the stories of war.

Ebook: Finding the Answers in the IDPF

This quick guide introduces you:

• What the IDPF is and is not.

• To the questions about military service and death you may be able to answer through the pages of this file.

• The history of the men who created the records.

• Information on obtaining the file and other records.

• Where to go to learn more.

Researching Women in World War II

This quick guide introduces you to:

• A brief history of the shift of roles women played at home and in service.
• Histories of the components of each military branch in which women served.
• Histories of the civilian organizations in which women served.
• Tips for locating information to begin a search for records with checklists.