Looking for information about a family member who passed away while serving in a conflict can certainly present unique challenges for the family history researcher. In addition to the sense of loss that comes with knowing your family member’s life ended too soon, the act of finding the true story of their service can be daunting task, especially if the loved one’s remains were never returned to the United States.
So, how do you take those first steps when trying to unearth information about one of your ancestors who lived and died during wartime? While government information from organizations like the Veterans Administration are often the first places we think to look, there are other resources that may be just as useful in your search.