World War II Research and Writing Center

06/04/2026

So many people think military research - especially WWII - is a one stop shop. Just drop by Ancestry or Fold3 and get what you need.

No.

Military research is not the same as genealogy research. You need to locate many different records to piece together the puzzle of service. You might find a clue or two on Ancestry, Fold3, or FamilySearch, or in newspapers (be sure to verify what you find) - but military records are everywhere.

And you will NOT find the service file/record - Official Military Personnel File - on Ancestry or Fold3 no matter what the genealogy group people tell you. Not everything is a service record.

For those who want to be able to say more than 'My veteran served,' you have to go outside the box. It requires context. Not just puzzle pieces. The context about the overseas experiences. What it was like on the ship on which someone served or the crossing from America to the theater of war. CONTEXT is everywhere and you have to learn how to search for it because 98% of the time you won't find it by searching your veteran's name or ASN/SN.

If you'd like to learn the 2-part strategy to research any veteran even if the records burned, I invite you to take a class. I rotate the branch classes every month - although I do offer Army every month because that is where people need the most help. Plus I walk you through the maze of Fold3 and NARA Catalog searching in everything i teach. When you learn these search techniques, your research will change forever.

Helping people reconstruct veteran history even if the record burned at the NPRC in 1973. I also help people write their family and military stories and heal the past.

06/03/2026

I’m floating between client projects this morning and updating my WWII PDF Toolkits - particularly the NARA Catalog toolkit. It’s amazing what you will find on NARA if you know how to search - something I teach in all my classes.

Amazing… something I just found in NARA Catalog RG 498 Records of Headquarters, European Theater of Operations, United States Army (World War II).

Some of this is digitized and also available on Fold3 but you will have an easier time locating things on NARA than Fold3. Wow. I suspect several European researchers would be interested in this RG.

Want to learn how to find the good stuff - context and mentions of your veteran in NARA Catalog - come take a class. https://www.ancestralsoulswisdomschool.com/store

06/03/2026

I have a love-hate relationship with NARA Catalog. I know many of you feel the same. We love it because there are so many contextual records there to tell us about our family member or veteran ... yet... it's a pain in the ass to search.

This morning I'm updating my NARA PDF Toolkit (see link to my store purchase the set of 4 toolkits). There is a series I was interested in and know many European researcher friends probably would like to know exists. It's part of RG 498. Anyway searching WITHIN that RG, which I always recommend, yields nothing in the first few pages. Yet searching the main catalog gives me what I want. In several ways I didn't know existed.

Love it or hate it or somewhere in between - there is gold in that catalog - you just have to learn all the ways to search it. I teach this in all my small group coaching classes.

Helping people reconstruct veteran history even if the record burned at the NPRC in 1973. I also help people write their family and military stories and heal the past.

06/02/2026

Working with individuals whose father’s fought in World War II - at various ages. If you are looking at your family history, the beliefs, behaviors, patterns, and traumas that were passed down - you also have to consider the ages at which events took place.

An 18 year old young man who just graduated high school and had his legs blown almost off in war, will process that differently than a man who was married with a child(ren). Both will carry trauma which will show up in their behaviors in different ways.

Think about that when you explore the deeper sides of family and military research.

If you'd like to explore more on this topic - join my Circle of Influence class on June 18.

Explore the ways your family, society, war, trauma, strengths and blessings impact the life you live using the Circle of Influence tool and your genealogical records.

06/01/2026

In genealogy FB groups I often see, in response to a WWI or WWII question, 'Just go to Fold3 they have military records.'

While that's great - do you actually know what records are there or not there, to help with WWI or WWII research? Did you know you can more easily search for those on NARA Catalog?

This month the WWII Research and Writing Center is offering the Fold3 and NARA Catalog small group coaching sessions twice. The first is Wednesday, June 10.

If you'd like to learn what exists on these sites, how they can help you reconstruct service, find answers to your questions, and learn the context of your veteran's service - you can learn more and register at the online course site.

Webinars don't always work or provide you with the unique answers you require. This is where a coaching session can help.

05/29/2026

Are you ready to research your WWII Army Air Force veteran?

Thursday, June 4 at 11:00 a.m. CST, I am hosting another small group coaching.

You’ll learn how to:
Apply a two-step research strategy specific to Army Air Force Research
Build a Timeline of Service to clearly see the history, errors, and gaps
Locate the right records like Payroll, Flight Records, Rosters, Morning Reports, death records, and service files (not just the popular ones)
Navigate Fold3, Ancestry, FamilySearch, NARA Catalog, and branch-specific sources
Build context so records actually tell a story using unit level records specific to your soldier's service history.

Extensive workbook provided prior to the session. A replay and additional records and resources to review will be sent to registrants after the live event.

Space is limited to grab a spot today. I only run this program every other month.

Webinars don't always work or provide you with the unique answers you require. This is where a coaching session can help.

05/27/2026

My latest article about war trauma.

Exploring the other side of genealogy and military research The trauma of World War II did not end when the war ended. The trauma didn’t just happen to those who served. It also happened to those on the home front in America. Those who were living the war every day while bombs went off around

05/27/2026

Space still available for next week's WWII Army Air Force Records Small Group Coaching

Thursday, June 4 at 11:00 a.m.

Every military branch kept records differently & some records burned. This Army Air Force small-group coaching runs up to 2 hours live on Zoom Meeting is designed to walk you step-by-step through a proven two-part research process, military timeline, Army Morning Reports, and unit records, tailored specifically to Army Air Force records.

Register today before space is gone. All sessions limited to 10 people.

Webinars don't always work or provide you with the unique answers you require. This is where a coaching session can help.

05/26/2026

I've noticed since 2020 when people had to stay home, more records came online, and there was nothing else to do, that everyone is now a genealogy and military research expert (even when they are not).

This has created rampant confusion about what records exist - what they are actually called - and where to find them. Sad thing is - I think most people, especially those writing military stories - don't care to actually use correct terminology. But it is important that we do.

I discuss this in my new article. When you use the correct terminology - you will clear up confusion, misinformation and HELP someone find the answers they seek. WWI and WWII research is hard enough after the 1973 Fire. Why not make it less confusing by learning something new and calling records what they are?

One of the biggest problems in WWII military research today, especially in genealogy and story writing communities and Facebook Groups, is the habit of calling every military-related file a “service record.” I’m here to tell you after 15 years of deep diving into WWII branch records to write m...

05/26/2026

Thursday, May 28 at 11:00 a.m. CST, the WWII Research and Writing Center is hosting another Fold3 and NARA Catalog military small group coaching. You can learn more and register at the online course site. https://www.ancestralsoulswisdomschool.com/fold3-naracatalog

In this Live 90-minute Zoom Meeting, I’ll explain:

What Fold3 has and does not have.
What NARA Catalog can provide - including Army (and Army Air Force) Morning Reports.
How these two websites can help you find puzzle pieces and break down brick walls in your research.
Guide you through Fold3 and NARA Catalog so you can confidently search, filter, and discover the records that reveal your veteran’s history.

You’ll learn how to identify key collections, use effective search strategies, decode military language, and track down unit records, Army morning reports, POW files, and more.

Webinars don't always work or provide you with the unique answers you require. This is where a coaching session can help.