Travel in your Family's WWII Footsteps in Europe
For more than a decade I have been researching all branches of the military in WWII. In 2015 I finally went to Europe to walk in the footsteps of my cousin James Privoznik, fly his final burial flag over the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Luxembourg Cemetery where he sleeps, and then walk in the woods here he was killed.
Earlier on that trip I visited my first ABMC cemetery at Normandy. Having extensively researched and read hundreds of Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF)s and the work of the Graves Registration Service, I thought I was prepared to stand in that sacred space.
All the research in the world, all the reading of books in the world, is not the same as standing where your family member fought, was wounded, or died. Nothing can compare or completely prepare you for that moment.
Have you traveled in Europe after doing the military research for your family? It isn't enough to look at your father's discharge paper and say, 'Oh he was in that unit.' Usually that's the final piece of a story - a unit in which he may have never seen combat. First do your homework and then travel so you aren't wasting time and money chasing the wrong story.
Would you like help researching and planning a trip to walk in your soldier's footsteps? Contact Jennifer today to set up your free phone consultation to discuss your project options.
© 2018 Jennifer Holik
