May 22, 2023 by Jenny Ashcraft | 72 Comments
The telegram arrived on a cold January day in 1942. It read, “After an exhaustive search, it has been found impossible to locate your son, Robert Edwin Kline, gunner’s mate, second class, U.S. Navy.” The sailor’s mother refused to accept … Continue reading
January 11, 2023 by Jenny Ashcraft | 65 Comments
In 1942, as Japanese forces advanced on Corregidor, soldiers from the US Army’s 31st Infantry Regiment burned the regimental battle standards and buried a silver bowl and cups. The bowl was a prized Army heirloom known as the Shanghai Bowl, … Continue reading
December 5, 2022 by Michael Strauss | 41 Comments
This month we welcome back special guest contributor Michael Strauss, an Accredited Genealogist from AncestryProGenealogists®. In September, he wrote a blog on reconstructing military records lost in the fire at the National Personnel Record Center in 1973. Due to the … Continue reading
November 18, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 92 Comments
Have you ever heard of the Caterpillar Club? The Caterpillar Club is an association of people who have successfully used a parachute to jump out of a disabled aircraft. The club began in the 1920s, and though not limited to … Continue reading
October 14, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 83 Comments
Each time the last surviving veteran from any war passes away, it marks the end of an era and the closing of a chapter in history. The question of who was the last often brings lively debate. In some cases, … Continue reading
August 15, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 27 Comments
Throughout WWII, military personnel displayed uncommon valor and courage. Our record collections contain countless stories of ordinary men and women who serve in extraordinary ways. Here are two remarkable stories of survival. Eugene P. Moran enlisted in the US Army … Continue reading
July 18, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 40 Comments
During WWII, the United States Army adopted a form to document the fate of missing air crews. Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) are a valuable resource that provides details, witness statements, survivor accounts, and more. The reports tell the story … Continue reading