Finding Your Father's War: A Practical Guide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War II US Army

Originally published in 2006 and selling through three printings, this invaluable guide has been revised and updated for a new edition. In this work, leading military historian and researcher, Jonathan Gawne, explains and shares the techniques he uses to research archives, libraries, veteran associations, and myriad other sources of information to track down wartime careers.

The book provides an overview of the Army in World War II, from the basics up. It goes on to explain how to find information from such sources as discharges, uniforms, paperwork, the National Personnel Records Center, National Archives, other facilities, and what you can expect from veterans organizations (and how to find them). The book also helps you to assemble the data you have collected and piece together the story of your relatives' wartime service.

Detailed appendices also give information on such things as insignia of ranks and branches, listing of common MOS's, a breakdown of each division by sub unit, with a brief history and a listing of their campaigns, a capsule history of each campaign, and a bibliography of useful books on various campaigns and units. Color illustrations of campaign ribbons, decorations, insignia, and rare photos accompany the detailed text.