On May 8, 75 years ago, World War II came to an end in Europe, VE Day.
The end of that theater of the war eventually saw many soldiers and sailors return home to resume or begin family life. Wars are pivotal events in family histories and stories. Be sure you know which of your relatives served and where, and check for any military records in family papers. So few WWII veterans are still living that there aren’t many chances to interview them. Some major interview projects have been conducted by various institutions, like the Veterans History Project at the Atlanta History Center. Some veterans have had their letters deposited at an archives, like the Hargrett Library at the University of Georgia.
My father served in Italy, arriving in 1944 as a meteorologist. He returned stateside in early 1946. We have the scrapbook my mother created from photographs and other memorabilia he sent back to her, military patches and insignia, telegrams and newspaper clippings. Their letters were lost due to a tornado in 1953. So treasure what you have, interview family members still around to see what they can tell you, and record your family’s WWII role for posterity.
E-book bargain from Genealogical Publishing Company
The Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore is offering a great discount during the pandemic. For a reduced fee, you can have access to the e-book collection of more than 750 books the company has published or reprinted. The reduced cost is $49.95. See genealogical.com for the details. This is for individuals only, online only, nonrenewable and does not cover PDF files. The company also has some great sales discounts on published books as well. It’s been one of the nation’s preeminent genealogical publishing houses, including Clearfield Press, for nearly 60 years. You can sign up for emails that include research advice, as well as information on new publications.
Genealogy and history books online at many places
Genealogy and history books are online at many websites, mostly for free. It’s a great way to access some of the books we need during normal research times and especially now. Try the hathitrust.com, archive.org, Google Books, FamilySearch.org, and the Digital Library of Georgia (and similar sites for other states).
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