A Beginner's Guide to Researching WWII Veterans' History



A Beginner's Guide to Researching WWII Veterans' History

14th Armored Division Association

After the war, many veterans did not provide details regarding their experiences to their family members. It's quite possible the only "detail" regarding your Father's, Grandfather's or Uncles service history is that they were in the 14th Armored Division. Don't feel bad, you have more information than most and it's all you need to get started. In this guide are steps that I took while researching my Grandfather's service history. It assumes you’re are trying to find information regarding a Veteran who belonged to the 14th Armored Division but some of the steps could be used for researching any Veteran.

Let's start out by saying...Congrat's, if you’re reading this, you have already done a great job! You've hit the internet, found the 14th's website and quite possibly their Facebook page. As you can see, there's a wealth of information (mostly downloadable) at both locations.

If all that "info" is not enough, it's time to dig deeper. You are very fortunate that the 14th Armored Division has an active association. They are responsible for reunions as well as a yearly newsletter titled "The Liberator". The association has a contact list for members of the 14th who have attended reunions or received the Liberator. As you can imagine, it's very difficult to keep that list up to date, so before you bombard the association with inquiries, let's see if you can make headway on your own.

Step 1:

See if you or a family member has any papers, specifically a DD214, otherwise known as separation papers. It will list the details of their service to include dates, awards and citations. If you don't have them, they can be acquired through the National Historic Archives. There is a lot of confusion about the fire at the NPRC back in the 1970s. Still reach out to them as you never know what they might actually find. Also, the After Action Reports are in College Park so they were not lost in the fire. Morning Reports are in St. Louis and are in great condition. You can also sign up for ancestry services and use sites like . has limited information on WWII service but it will give you the basic details which may assist in you research.

TIP While you’re digging around or talking to family members, search for photo's or maybe even a diary. In my case, some of my Grandfather's photos had comments written on the back. These proved invaluable later on!

Step 2:

Get your hands on the 14th Armored Division's history book written by Captain Joseph Carter. If you don't have one, ask your family members if they do. The original had a black cover with raised lettering. A reprint from the 60's was red. No luck? Well then visit Ebay or Amazon. They pop up quite often.

TIP It's a bonus to have but there's no need to pay extra for an original, as the reprint has the same information.

In this book, not only is the 14th's history expertly chronicled, there's a goldmine on the back pages! Here you'll find an entire roster of every Battalion, Battery etc. It even lists where they came from when they enlisted! So, all you need is the veteran's name and after a little digging, you'll find out exactly what unit they were in. Take that information and keep it in mind while you read the entire book. Maybe you'll get lucky and come across something written about their unit, or if you're really lucky, the individual veteran.

Step 3:

Now that you have some of the basics, go back to the 14th's website and see if a Divisional website is listed, such as the 501st, or the 48th. On these site's you may find a history pamphlet/book written right after the war, detailing the specific division's movements and battle details.

TIP If you find one, go out and buy a lottery ticket because today is your lucky day.

If it's a pamphlet like "Mission Accomplished" for the 501st Armored Field Artillery Division, you can open it directly from the site. It may be downloadable too. These provide a wealth of very detailed information.

Ok, so now you have more specifics. You have a good overall understanding of the 14th Armored Division. Your head is swimming but you still want more. It's the Holy Grail you’re after. Finding a veteran who fought along side. Someone who can provide the personal stories you were never told. This is where the most rewarding part of your research begins. If you’re fortunate like myself, a whole new world will open before you. New friends will be made and in the process of your research, you'll have the opportunity to make some veterans or their family members very happy.

Step 4:

Now is the time to make contact with someone at the 14th Armored Division Association and graciously ask if they have a possible list of contacts that you can reach out to in an effort to get more information, possibly first hand stories, about the veteran you are researching. The list may contain names only but in my case addresses were also provided. If you have the addresses, waste no time in getting letters out to the veterans. Explain your situation and if you have any, include some pictures.

TIP Provide your phone number, email, and your address.

Check your mailbox three times a day like I did and wait for the best.

Step 5:

Hopefully by now, a veteran or a family member has replied to your inquiries. If so, GREAT! If not, all hope is not lost. In the meantime please share what information you do find on the 14th's Facebook page or better yet, contact the 14th's website administrator. Not only is it a great way to archive the stories, it will also help future researchers. The old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" stands true but a photo can bring up just as many questions. Questions that can only be answered by, you guessed it...more research.

TIP Keep in mind, the list of veterans you received from the 14th Association may not be a complete list, especially if the veteran hadn't signed up with the Association in recent years. You'll find that most of the family member's of deceased veterans do not belong to the association; mainly because they were never aware one existed.

This is where your next phase begins. As I said earlier, you're most fortunate to have that roster in the back of the 14th's history book. Now go down the list of names and hit the internet. You are going to try to find living veterans or their family members. How? Well, it's not always easy but here's what I did:

Go to . On the bottom left of the screen open up "FIND PEOPLE". Here you'll enter the first and last name of the veteran you’re looking for. It's extremely helpful to enter a state or city where they once lived as this will greatly shorten your list of results. It doesn't have to be a current location but that would naturally shorten the resultant list even more. When the list appears it may or may not give you a phone number. If it does, cross you fingers and start dialing!

TIP If someone answers, introduce yourself right off the bat, briefly explain why you're calling, and ask if so and so is available. That way you don't come off as a telemarketer or scam caller.

The veteran's phone numbers are usually listed and believe it or not, some still live in or near the area shown in the 14th's history book when they enlisted! Don't be afraid to leave a message.

If a phone number is not listed or specific information does not come up, sometimes another site called Intellus will pop up and say they have more information. It's a paid service that I found doesn't pay off. What the Intellus site does show, free of charge, are possible relatives and aliases. Maybe even cities once lived. Both and Intellus will give the person's estimated age, narrowing down the list.

TIP Son's/grandsons of WWII Veterans many times, have the same first name as the veteran, so don't discount calling them especially if they are aged between 50 and 75.

Keep track of all the possible relatives. Play detective, then enter their names in . This is a good way to at least reach a family member. It's worked numerous times for me.

Also, can be a savior as well. It is a paid service but it has been well worth it for my research. Search for the veteran in their home state, then check the list of family trees. If you find a veteran’s name in a tree and he has a lot of details in his profile then you’ve probably found a close relative. Use the “contact this member” feature to send them a message! I’ve found many children of the veterans in this manner. Also, the 1940 Census records are available on Ancestry and they are also helpful for finding a sibling of the veteran.

Step 6:

In a last ditch effort, in addition to using all the tools available at , you can also Google the veterans name to include, 14th Armored Division. It's quite possible an Obituary will come up. Obituaries generally provide information on the Veteran's service and also their surviving family members. Take that list of surviving family members and go back to step 5. Family members can be a great source of photos and interesting stories.

I hope this brief guide sets you on the right track. I encourage you to share as much information between as many people as possible. Write it all down! You'll find that important details are easily forgotten after making numerous phone calls.

Please be respectful of the veterans as well as their family members. It's their story. I think you'll find that most are more than willing to share what they have. Once you've think you've completed (ya right) your research, please share your results with your family members. Invite them to visit the 14th's website and Facebook Page. As a family member, you can also sign up with the 14th Armored Division Association and also attend a reunion.

Lastly, if you get the opportunity, visit France and Germany. Trace the route the veteran you’re researching took during the war. While you'll never truly know what it was like during the war (nor would you want to) you will have a better understanding.

Good luck! Keep the memories alive.

Eric Nordstrom

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