Articles

When was the last time you participated in a Veteran’s Day program? Perhaps you attended a recent event in your community to honor and thank veterans for their service. While I usually had the day off, I did not attend Veteran’s Day activities. With a demanding career, I was always grateful to have an extra day off to run errands and catch up, so regrettably the veterans’ events were not a priority. Even though my father had served in WWII, I felt no strong connection to the veteran’s community.

What do you know about your father’s enlistment in the service? Do you know where, when and what were the circumstances surrounding his enlistment? Perhaps you have a few clues about his draft status, but more likely, you may not know anything about his entry into WWII. This was true for me…I did not have any information about my father’s first steps into the WWII history books. It was only when I began reading my mother’s diary and going through her personal effects that I learned about the draft and my Dad’s enlistment.

Why is it important to keep and preserve WWII letters and artifacts? I believe there are three significant reasons that will address that question. First the letters and memorabilia are an important part of our family’s history as they provide a unique way to know our parents, to understand them and to appreciate them long after they have departed. They also provide a rare first person perspective of that time and place.

Did you have relatives or friends who served during WWII?  Perhaps they were among the more than 39 million Americans who served in a war that spanned seven years and killed over 52 million people from 25 countries.