Just before the National Archives closed to the public in March, I was able to finish gathering the information from records to tell the story of my great uncle Irv’s WWII experience, and confirm his participation in the Liberation of Ohrdruf.

The following links are to previous blog posts that trace the research steps I took, and the documents and photos I uncovered. The process could be used for research on your WWII Army soldier.

• Researching World War II Service: Beware the Unknown Unknowns
• 75 Years On
• Soldiers’ Stories
• After Action Reports
• Liberation of Ohrdruf
• Photographs of the 89^th Infantry Division

While the research tells Irv’s story, this post is dedicated to the United States Armed Forces veterans I have known: my father, a captain in the US Air Force, my uncle Nate (US Army), my uncle Sandy (US Navy), cousins and friends.