War Time Stories of our Ancestors

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Many of us are on social media and receive the posts from FamilySearch.  Lately they have been posting quite a few stories of people who served in World War I and World War II.  Along with that, I have been reading novels of people who lived during those turbulent times – from various points of view.  They are all fiction based on facts and cover the stories of the Jews, the Germans, the French, the Japanese and Chinese as well as other ethnic groups.  The FamilySearch posts and the books I have been reading got me to thinking of our ancestors.  Do we know their stories?  Have we recorded them?

In an earlier blog post I told the story that I have posted on FamilySearch of my father who was a Pearl Harbor survivor aboard the USS Nevada.  But I am not sure you know the story of Brother May’s parents.  It is truly a war-era love story!

The year was 1944.  Brother May’s Dad, Daniel (Danny), was an enlisted serviceman in the Army.  He served a tour of duty in the Pacific on Christmas Island and also served as a war correspondent.   He boarded a train in Oregon and headed for leave to visit family in Kentucky.

Brother May’s mom, Afton, was an officer in the very first group of WAC’s (Women’s Army Corp).   Afton boarded the train as it passed through Montana and was headed toward her next duty station in Alabama.

Conversations began and, even though, Army rules dictated enlisted personnel and officers not fraternize, conversations led to letters as they were assigned various duty stations.  Letters led to personal visits and over the years a romance blossomed.  They were married in 1946. 

There is a lot more to the story of Danny and Afton.  As we discover the stories of our ancestors we begin to understand why they believed as they did, what they had to endure and sacrifice during their lives, what the world conditions were during that time.  Are we recording those stories?

FamilySearch and other programs (such as Ancestry.com) are releasing military records that help us understand where our ancestors served, what they did in the service, and what they looked like at the time.  Their stories are part of the fabric that make us who we are. 

Need help researching these stories?  We can help!  Give us a call…… and have fun exploring the stories of those who served our country.  Brother and Sister May

 


 

 

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