Include Veterans’ Stories in Your Family History

The history of many families includes proud military service of men and women who have since passed on. These family members did their part to promote liberty and justice during periods of time when these principles were under threat. No matter which period of conflict your ancestors took part in, these stories are a valuable source of inspiration and pride to this day.

You might be surprised to discover just how many of your historic family members were affected by different conflicts. A little bit of digging starts to uncover all kinds of different stories from veterans. These unique stories are a special part of any family history. They deserve to be told and remembered by their decedents today.

Identifying the Veterans in Your Own Family

The easiest way to find out if there are veterans in your family is simply to ask. Talk to parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There is a good chance that one of these relatives will have some information about the service history of your family. A single name can begin the search. Some of the work may have already been done; if so, you can use this information to begin looking at other branches of your family tree.

If the service member in your family is still alive, ask to speak with them about their time in the service. You can make an audio or video recording for your personal archives:

• Audio recording: Most laptop computers have a built in microphone that can easily pick up conversation level sound. For just a few dollars you can purchase a microphone that plugs into a USB port. These microphones have greater sensitivity and offer a greater degree of configuration flexibility.
• Video recording: Webcams that plug into the USB port of your laptop are also very inexpensive and come with the video editing software that can be used to prepare your video for sharing.

Researching Deceased Service Members

If the service member in your family has passed on, there are still ways to find out about their history. There are numerous military history collections in libraries across the United States. Historical societies, especially groups focused on military history are also very helpful sources of information. The National Archives of the United States (archive.gov) is one of the best online resources for military service records you could ask for. Records can be sent by email, fax, or through the mail.

Using Your Research Information

The information you collect as a result of your research can be used to fill in the blank spaces of your family history record. Copies of important documents can be included in your files and shared with other family members.

If your own research efforts reach a dead end, talk to other family members with an interest in genealogy and family history. They may have additional suggestions or resources available to them. Uncovering the stories of historic veterans is a project that everyone can benefit from. Sharing the workload is especially important if there are multiple service members in your ancestral lines.

Sharing the stories of the women and men who served their country is a way to keep their memory alive and to connect with the very real difference that veterans make in each of our lives.

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