The History Buff's Guide to World War II (54 page)

Thankfully, in a measure that passed both houses unanimously, the U.S. Congress appropriated the creation of the Veterans History Project. Administered by the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, the program has evolved into the central database for written, audio, and video testimonials of those who witnessed and took part in the largest war of all time.

Along with the veterans themselves, the pillars of this noble endeavor are the people who are willing to take time to conduct interviews and send them in. To date, submissions have topped the fifteen thousand mark, including interviews of Holocaust survivors, civilians involved in the war effort, and veterans from other conflicts. In addition to thousands of enlightening and priceless narratives, participants have sent in copies and originals of wartime photos, maps, drawings, and letters, preserving for the foreseeable future artifacts that would have otherwise been easily lost or forgotten.

To learn more and to download all necessary instructions and forms, visit the Veterans History Project Website (
http.loc.gov/folklife/vets
), or write: The Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, D.C. 20540-4615.

One U.S. World War II veteran has died in the time it takes to read this entry.

2.
SUPPORT THE JOINT POW/MIA ACCOUNTING COMMAND

The U.S. Government lists eighteen hundred Americans as missing from the Vietnam War. In comparison, seventy-eight thousand Americans are listed as missing from the Second World War. Of these, thirty-five thousand bodies have been determined to be recoverable.

A military unit activated in 2003 helps bring these missing patriots home and helps bring closure to grieving families. It is the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).

Stationed at Hickham Field in Hawaii, JPAC consists of highly trained military and civilian specialists who spend thousands of hours researching leads and records, negotiating with foreign governments, investigating sites, recovering the fallen, and identifying remains. Their many destinations have included Burma, China, Okinawa, and Germany. In 2004 the outfit conducted several successful operations, including the retrieval of six sets of remains from Caen in Normandy, believed to be five Americans and a British serviceman who had been missing since 1942.

The process is considerably expensive. Detection, retrieval, and identification can take two or more years for each case, and funding of this noble work depends heavily on appropriations from Congress.

Help draw greater attention to the program by voicing support. Begin with contacting your representative and senators and urging them to help JPAC in every way possible. Go to the websites of the U.S. House (
www.house.gov
) and Senate (
www.senate.gov
). Also write to the president, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Armed Services Committee, so JPAC can continue its noble work and fulfill its mission.

JPAC’s Central Identification Laboratory is the largest forensic anthropology lab on earth.

3.
HELP A VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION

Driving a car, sending a check, writing a letter, manning a phone… simple things move mountains. As World War II veterans age, their needs increase accordingly, and so does their appreciation for friendly help.

Orchestrating goodwill into a concerted effort are scores of veterans service organizations who help care for others and society as a whole. Several reputable foundations are specific to the Second World War, including the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, the U.S. Submarine Veterans of World War II, and the Women Air Force Service Pilots of World War II.

Whether through time or money, a person can help someone make a doctor's appointment, stay in contact with old friends, build a monument, or receive the benefits and medals they have earned. For volunteers with talents in health care, there are many great opportunities in the Blinded Veterans Association, Disabled American Veterans, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America, among others.

To see what can be done and what needs to be done, go to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website and review its more than forty partner organizations (
www.va.gov
).

Although they are passing away rapidly, veterans of the Second World War still outnumber the veterans of the Vietnam War by almost two to one.

4.
DONATE TO A MUSEUM

Operational costs continue to climb and plague the caretakers of history. Building and grounds maintenance, artifact tending and restoration, display climate control, and insurance gut the budgets on a daily basis. In addition, many facilities are in desperate need of new or updated security systems, as few places have been spared the work of thieves, and more than one institution has been forced to close after repeated hits. Even when museums are operating in the black, a little extra capital helps them host new or annual programs, such as veterans’ reunions and traveling exhibits.

If a friend or family member was a veteran in the war, look to the places where they served. Some units and bases have their own museums, as do the four branches of the military service. The U.S. Army has a few museums—thirty-four of them. The honoree does not have to be far off. Community historical societies often have collections commemorating the local war effort. In many places modest donations can buy membership into trusts, which often bring free admission, newsletters, plus special programs and tour opportunities to contributors.

For an extensive listing of museums and contact information, see Steve Rajtar and Francis E. Franks,
War Monuments, Museums, and Library Collections of 20th Century Conflicts: A Directory of United States Sites
(2002).

One of the more eclectic museums is in Deming, New Mexico. Along with a touching display commemorating the Bataan Death March, the Luna Mimbres Museum also has a cowboy exhibit, antique cars, and a collection of fine art.

5.
JOIN OR START A WORLD WAR II ROUND TABLE

World War II round tables are few and far between. Some of the more established groups are in Atlanta, Columbus, Emporia, Minneapolis, and New Orleans. But their numbers are growing.

Round tables are one of the best ways to share experiences and information, to talk of movies, books, and programs, and to hear guest speakers. Many times, people feel too intimidated to join in, believing that a person has to be an expert with encyclopedic knowledge to take part. In reality, the best round tables welcome newcomers and contain all levels of knowledge. The only prerequisite is interest.

If a round table or discussion group is not nearby, consider starting one. Contact local historical societies, collegiate history departments, and veterans organizations to seek out meeting places and potential recruits. All it takes is two or more people, a box of doughnuts, and something to talk about.

Although there were a modest number of World War II round tables sixty years after V-J Day, there were no Civil War round tables seventy years after Appomattox.

6.
COLLECT ARTIFACTS

On the move, troops tried to carry as little as possible. But when it came time to come home, many of them turned into the biggest pack rats this side of the Smithsonian. What the soldiers, sailors, and marines brought back constitutes a healthy portion of the war artifacts circulating in the United States today.

Objects d’art of war are plentiful and wide-ranging: medals, music, helmets, stamps, newspapers, weaponry, flags, photographs,
etc.
Where there is curiosity, there is probably a curio to go with it. Ammunition casings are not hard to find, nor should they be. Munitions plants made bullets by the billions. Bulkier items include radios, uniforms, airplane parts, or whole planes. Traditionally, some of the more popular items have been autographs, period posters, and original battle maps.

To get educated on what is available, try auctions (including online sites), swap meets, and antique shows. These venues tend to be expensive for purchasing but are good places to pick up information. To look for hidden treasures, estate sales and tag sales require footwork but sometimes harvest great rewards.

The best defense against mistaking replicas for the real thing or overpaying for authentic pieces is prudence. Work with reputable dealers, research heavily before big ventures, and start with the following: Henry-Paul Enjames,
G.I. Collectors Guide
(2003); Robin Lumsden,
Detecting the Fakes: A Collectors Guide to Third Reich Militaria
(2000); Patrick Newell,
Military Collectibles
(2000).

Obtaining certain artifacts from Europe might have legal ramifications. Though Internet sales are difficult to regulate, most European states have strict laws against the sale and purchase of Third Reich memorabilia.

7.
VISIT A HISTORIC SITE OR MUSEUM

A passport is not needed to see the European or Pacific theaters. New Orleans has the National D-day Museum. The National Museum of the Pacific War floats on seven arid acres of Texas Hill Country in Adm. Chester Nimitz’s hometown of Fredericksburg.

All fifty states have museums, monuments, and memorials. Many host bona fide locales of World War II history, such as Building D of the SAC Air Force Base south of Omaha, where the famous B-29s Enola Gay and Bock’s Car were built. Their infamous cargo was tested near the National Atomic Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Several historic warships returned to the states in one piece, and more than thirty are open to public viewing, including Leyte Gulf veteran USS
Alabama
moored in Mobile, Iwo Jima witness USS
Massachusetts
in Fall River, plus the aircraft carrier and kamikaze-survivor USS
Intrepid
in New York. Among destroyers, cruisers, and landing craft, there are also sixteen submarines, among them U-505 in Chicago, captured from the Third Reich in 1944.

Across the country, hangars and airfields have B-17s, B-24s, and B-29s, Hellcats, Warhawks, and Zeros, plus tanks, half-tracks, and artillery. There is the Women’s Army Corps Museum in Anniston, Alabama; the Engineers-Seabees Museum in Port Hueneme, California; and the just plain huge Museum of World War II in Natick, Massachusetts. For World War II buffs, the world is at your doorstep.

For domestic destinations, see Richard E. Osborne,
World War II Sites in the United States: A Tour Guide and Directory
(1996) and Rajtar and Franks,
War Monuments, Museums, and Library Collections of 20th Century Conflicts
(2002).

If the opportunity arises for overseas travel, first read John T. Bookman and Stephen T. Powers,
The March to Victory
(1994) and Chuck Thompson,
The 25 Best World War Two Sites: European Theater
(2004). Also by Chuck Thompson is
The 25 Best World War Two Sites: Pacific Theater
(2002). The British publication
After the Battle
gives in-depth analysis of World War II sites and associated travel opportunities. Its website is
www.afterthebattle.com
.

The U.S. First Armored Division Museum is excellent, but it is a bit of a commute. The museum, which features dioramas, photos, and a tank park, is in Baumholder, Germany.

8.
TRACE GENEALOGY

There is still much to learn from those who are gone. Retracing family members and their role in the war can reveal what the event was really like and how we are truly connected to it.

A little work can unearth very deep roots. Hiding in hope chests, photo albums, attics, and journals are links to personal heritage. Archives, veterans organizations, and unit histories also hold considerable information. Most important, there are still a precious few years left to seek out the most valuable resources of all: the deceased’s living friends and relatives.

To organize the search, consider purchasing genealogy software. Try the following for guidance: How to Trace Your Family Tree, American Genealogical Research Institute Staff (1998), and the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C. (
www.nara.gov
). An excellent source of additional information is a website entitled “Dad’s War: Finding and Telling Your Father’s World War II Story” (
www.members.aol.com/dadswar
).

American genealogy suffered a blow on July 12, 1973. At the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, a fire broke out and destroyed more than sixteen million official military files. Approximately 80 percent of files on persons discharged from the army between 1912 and 1960 were lost. No index or duplicates were ever made.

9.
SPONSOR A PRESERVATION PROJECT

In 2001, Ford Island in Pearl Harbor made the “11 Most Endangered” list of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. More than six hundred POW camps holding more than 400,000 Axis soldiers once dotted the United States but are now steadily fading into the landscape. Age, neglect, and the elements are devouring historic sites, monuments, and artifacts. Some of the more intricate items, such as aircraft, require expert handling, expensive equipment and materials, rare replacement parts, and a hefty amount of work hours just for maintenance. Harbored ships require routine dry-dock work.

Fortunately, there are friends associations, dedicated museums, and preservation grants to combat loss of the irreplaceable. The Strategic Air Command Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, and the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas, among many others, continually refurbish World War II aircraft. The San Francisco Maritime National Park dry-docks its Pacific submarine USS
Pampanito
once every six or so years. The Friends of Camp Hearne in Hearne, Texas, are one of a select few groups trying to preserve a World War II–era POW camp.