World War II : D Day Research

Do you have relatives or friends that participated in the D Day operations in Europe during World War II?

There have been many viewpoints written about this epic day in history.  So many died on the beaches during this unprecedented invasion. And, yet, so many were fortunate to survive.  For them, it was a memory that I am sure they never wanted to repeat.

There are some great publications written by many of these survivors.  And, many researchers are now able to find information about the behind the scenes actions since many of the files have become declassified. One of these books is written by Kenneth H. Garn, The Secret D-Day, 2004.

www.heritagebooks.com, available for sale through www.ancestorstuff.com

The author was part of a defense platoon in Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion of the 531st Engineer Shore Regiment.  He unravels the truth behind the D-Day invasion.

This book is highly recommended for those who enjoy reading first hand accounts of war.

AncestorStuff.com sells at a discount off of list price, and is giving FREE SHIPPING to customers when they buy 3 Military Catalog items until June 13.  You might want to take advantage of this offer.  It would be a good savings to anyone.

Researching Ancestors While Reading Biographies and Historical Accounts

Not very many people are so lucky as to have ancestors with published biographies on the shelves of every library in town.  In fact, not too many people have ancestors mentioned in history books. I should know....I've been researching our families since 2002.  Seems like yesterday when I picked up an old photo in a relative's box of belongings and wondered...Who are these people, and why do I look like them?

And so you start to wonder a bit about family of long ago, those that you have never met.
But that is where life gets interesting.  It's time to do some investigative reading.

Looking into the lives of our ancestors, we need to pick out every place that they lived, every school that they attended, the churches that they visited on Sundays with family and any military and occupational experiences they had.

Look at all the possibilities that you have to gather more information into their lives.  Research the schools that they attended.  Google books on their churches.  Find histories written about the towns, villages, counties and townships in which they lived.  Research the  history of the military units in which they served.  Find the places of employment and read about the history of the company or corporation.

Besides reading books on all of the above, search for news articles in newspapers and periodicals that may have stories about those schools, churches, companies, etc.  Your ancestors probably knew many of the people who are named in all of these sources.  Now you know a little more about your ancestor.

AncestorStuff.com is a good place to start.  Our newly purchased company has gone through quite a change in the past 60 days.  Redecorated website, blogs, social media....yes it's all been a lot of work.  But we are not done with the changes yet.  We will begin to write newsletters to our subscribers FREE of charge on a monthly basis.  If interested, go to our website, www.ancestorstuff.com, and sign up for the newsletter...we will send you a FREE 15 Generation Chart (two-sided) when you leave your address on the subscriber sheet.

Free Access to Civil War Databases on Fold3

It is Easter weekend.  Hopefully most of you will be spending some time with friends and family for the holiday....sharing meals, hunting for eggs, attending church services, and picking through your basket left by the big bunny.

But if things get a little dull, pull out your laptop, tablet or smart phone and take a look at what is free to view on Fold3 at www.fold3.com  Until April 30th, free access to the Civil War databases will be available to the public.  This is usually available only to paid subscribers.

This site provides images of Civil War Widow's Pension index cards. Many Civil War photos are available to browse.  Registers of Enlistments and Civil War maps are also available. Confederate casualty reports and amnesty papers are indexed.

Take a look at what is FREE until the end of the month.  Have fun, and Happy Easter.

World War I Army Nurses Serving in France

A group of photographs from the collection of my husband's grandfather includes images of the nurses who tended to the sick and injured servicemen of World War One.

Can you imagine what it must have been like?  Serving in a foreign land, tending to the injured soldiers, many of whom did not speak English, must have been very stressful.  These young women did their best to provide good medical care, while they were reminded that they were only appointed to the ANC, and did not receive the respect that male medics received.  

From the website : Women in the U.S. Army  http://www.army.mil/women/nurses.html

The Army Nurse Corps

WORLD WAR I (1917-1918) AND AFTER

On April 6, 1917, the United States entered World War I. There were 403 nurses on active duty, including 170 reserve nurses who had been ordered to duty in twelve Army hospitals in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

By 1918, more than 12,000 nurses were on active duty serving at 198 stations worldwide. In May 1917, six base (general) hospitals with more than 400 nurses sailed for France for service in the British Expeditionary Forces.

On Oct. 2, 1917, Gen. John J. Pershing sent a cabled request “for a competent member of the Nurse Corps” to supervise nursing activities in the American Expeditionary Forces. Bessie S. Bell, then Chief Nurse of Walter Reed General Hospital, reported to serve on Nov. 13, 1917.

On May 25, 1918, the Army School of Nursing was authorized by the Secretary of War as an alternative to utilizing nurses’ aides in Army hospitals. Courses of instruction opened at several Army hospitals in July 1918. Annie W. Goodrich was appointed under contract as Chief Inspector Nurse for the Army; she became the first dean of the Army School of Nursing.

Army nurses during World War I did not have officer status. They were not commissioned, but appointed into the ANC. Medics sometimes refused to accept nurses’ authority on the wards. After the war, Congress, to show their appreciation, gave nurses officer status by allotting them “Relative Rank,” meaning that an Army nurse first lieutenant, for example, received less pay and status than a male first lieutenant.

As a sign of their valiant contribution in the Great War, Army nurses were awarded numerous medals – including the Distinguished Service Cross (an award ranked second only to the Medal of Honor).

Rarely Seen Photos of WWI

Rarely do you find photos that were confiscated from German prisoners of war circa 1918.
Luckily, my husband's grandfather, LeRoy Hessler Reif, was able to obtain photos during his time of service as a medic in World War I.  Each one tells a story about the individuals photographed.  Their lives were changed by the decisions of men who had enormous egos.

And, those servicemen who were lucky enough to carry cameras with them while they performed their duties, were able to capture in photos what the war was really like in Europe.

Laboring German Prisoners of War Guarded by American Soldiers in France

Some of the Youngest German Soldiers Captured.  They were Chained to Their Machine Gun to Prevent Them From Running Away, Scared of Their Fate.

The Kaiser Taking Time to Review His Troops.  This Photo was Just One of the Many Taken from  Captured German Soldiers.

The Kaiser's Officer Headquarters on the Front Lines

A Photo of Field Marshall Von Hindenburg

This was supposed to be the War to End All Wars.  Unfortunately, that dream was not fulfilled.  Countless fighting men and women have lost their lives to support the inflated egos of those who wish to rule the world by imposing their beliefs and ways of life on those who seek freedom to make their own decisions.  In the end, they will realize that God is the only one who is in charge.  And, no human being can replace Our Lord.  Until that thought is recognized by everyone, we will have to endure conflicts that create havoc in the lives of the innocent.

Old World War I Photos From The Collection of a Soldier Who Served Well

The suitcase, full of papers and photos, contains some history that may not have been told by any other source....well, maybe.  To me, these are one of a kind.

 The suitcase, handed over to my husband from his mother on Thanksgiving on 2013, is filled with wonderful images of the War To End All Wars....World War I.  LeRoy Hessler Reif, grandfather of my husband, served as a medic in the U.S.Army during this conflict in Europe.  He saved many of the photos that he had snapped, and others that were acquired through other means, during his service to our nation in Europe.

LeRoy Hessler Reif in France 1918

My late father-in-law, Ken Reif, wrote an article in 1967 for the Veterans Day issue of a company newsletter.  He outlined the duties and experiences of his father's participation in the War.  As a medic, he saw unspeakable injuries inflicted on his fellow servicemen.  So many suffered.  So many perished.

U.S. Army ambulance used to transport the injured

U.S. Army hospital ward in France 1918

Nurses who diligently cared for the sick and injured during the War

Perhaps we always think that wounds heal  after time, but with injuries that were sustained on both sides, I can only imagine that they never truly heal.  Here is a man who did survive, but only after a new jaw was constructed from silver to replace the one that he no longer had......

And, then there were those who did not survive, but were buried with dignity and grace in a foreign land where they gave the ultimate sacrifice.  A freshly laid cemetery for those who did not return....

It is Valentines Day.  I hope that the Valentines of these servicemen were comforted in a way that helped them to carry on their lives.  What sorrow they must have experienced.  How proud they should be of those laid to rest in foreign lands.  Happy Valentines Day to all those who served, are serving and who will serve and sacrifice.  May God and St. Valentine watch over you.