Have you explored 'Our Military Heritage' database?
Our Military Heritage includes images of books, pamphlets, government documents, original letters, diaries, biographies, photographs, videos, unit histories, and rosters as well as service and pension records. A project of The Genealogy Center, this collection of data files offers materials from the Colonial era through the Afghanistan and Iraqi Wars. Contributions of additional data are most welcome!
Roughly 7% of the US population has served in the military. There are an estimated 20 million veterans alive today. Today has been set aside to remember and celebrate veterans - men and women of uncommon valor and shared purpose, people who have selflessly devoted themselves to patriotism, love of country and sacrifice for the common good. Our deepest thanks and prayers are with you for your service..
Fort Wayne Veterans Memorial Bridge, over the St. Marys River, renamed to honor local veterans, located along Lafayette Street (Spy Run Avenue) near The Old Fort. Street View photo from Google Maps
Last night was a special evening as our city and local veterans came together to dedicate the renamed and renovated Fort Wayne Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Last night the Veteran's Memorial Bridge over Spy Run was dedicated. Thanks to our amazing Fort Color Guard for participating in the ceremony. We're so pleased for this beautiful addition to Fort Wayne honoring our veterans, and that the construction is finally done!
Some of our INDOT team was on hand last night to help dedicate the Fort Wayne Veterans Memorial Bridge on U.S. 27 in downtown Fort Wayne! The bridge honors veterans from all military branches with all of the great new features that thousands of motorists will get to see every day.
ICYMI: The Veteran's Memorial Bridge dedication and ribbon-cutting took place on a beautiful evening last Sunday, September 17th. The military pride of the Fort Wayne community is both humbling and inspiring. Thank you!
SAR PATRIOT MARKER: as read by Seth Bradtmueller during the Patriot Grave Marking of Colonel Alexander Ewing on 16 September 2023 in Ft. Wayne, IN.
The center of the SAR Patriot Grave Marker contains a picture of a Minute Man; the first volunteer for the American Revolution. He was ready to go “at a minute’s notice.”
The Minute Man is surrounded by 13 stars which represents the original 13 colonies.
The date of 1775 is the generally agreed upon date of the start of the American revolution.
The term “Patriot” at the bottom of the marker signifies someone that served or supported the American Revolution.
Finally, the Grave Marker contains the letters “S”, “A” and “R” which stand for the recognizing organization, the Sons of the American Revolution.
The Allen County Memorial Coliseum built in 1952 was a memorial to World War II veterans and has lists of names on bronze plaques on the walls.
Civil War Monument is at Lawton Park on Spy Run
Memorial Park was dedicated to World War I veterans
A private World War I monument was erected by General Electric for their employees on Broadway Avenue.
Some high schools have memorials to their students
In 2012, the Korean War Veterans Association voted to move their Memorial from O’Day Road to Concordia Garden Cemetery at 5365 Lake Avenue. All the names from the brick walkway at O'Day Road were put on black granite slabs at the new site. Names of people are still being put on one of the newest slabs. Photos posted November 12, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
In March 1925 the Indiana legislature passed a law making it a responsibility of county recorders to keep a record of the discharge of soldiers in their area. The details of each discharge were to fit on one page and no fee was to be charged. Veterans are encouraged to file a copy of their separation from the military (known as a DD 214) with the county recorder where they are a resident. The Indiana State Archives also has copies of some DD 214s (see http://www.in.gov/iara/2871.htm for more information). Friday Fact December 13, 2013 on Indiana Genenealogical Society.
Veterans Day M41 Tank Rededication by Daniel Baker at Riverview Cemetery posted 11 November 2013 on flickr. D.O. McComb and Sons Funeral Home provided a beautiful spot for the memorial at their cemetery on Carroll Road. I photographed the tank this past summer near Johnny Appleseed Park not knowing it was to be moved. The memorial was uninspired, aged and out of the way. This is so much better.
A November 17, 2022 post by The Bones of Kekionga on Facebook with photos states: We were kind of excited last Monday as we got back on a field suspected as a campsite for armies of Harmar, Wayne or Harrison and within minutes found musket balls, a lead block with '4th' engraved in it, perhaps used by a printer. Later that morning, a chewed lead ball with teeth marks was found perhaps used by an anxious infantryman or one that had been suffering from an injury or illness. But the positive Coup De Grace was finding what we are 95% sure is a decorative tombac button that would have been sewn on a cuff worn around the wrist of late 1700s or early 1800s American soldiers. An old spigot perhaps used for a barrel of whiskey? The search for more proof will continue at a later date.
Our Military Heritage website with Manager Curt Witcher and Genealogy Librarian Sara Allen at The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana on PrimeTime39 - September 22, 2017 Season 2017 Episode 1432 | 28m 34s This area's only in-depth, live, weekly news, analysis and cultural update forum, PrimeTime 39 airs Fridays at 7:30pm.
Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914 - in eighty-one microfilm reels are available at The Genealogy Center or can be accessed online at Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. From Melissa Shimkus - January 31, 2013Genealogy Gems ezine at the The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana with an Archive of online Genealogy Gems articles.
U.S. Mexico War 1846-1848 - list of Names from Indiana from the National Parks Service that ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 1848.
We pause in reflection Memorial Day 2014 Honor Roll of those from the area who have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq published May 27, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
In 1973, a disastrous fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) destroyed between 16 and 18 million Official Military Personnel Files. We're marking the occasion with a three-part series on the fire and its aftermath.
On July 12, 1973, shortly after midnight, a fire was reported at the NPRC’s military personnel records building at 9700 Page Boulevard in St. Louis, MO. Within minutes, fire trucks arrived on the scene. The firemen tried to enter the sixth floor, where the fire had started, but the extreme heat prevented them. Their focus turned to fighting the fire from outside the building. Unfortunately, the partial collapse of the roof made their efforts difficult. Over the next 24 hours, numerous fire departments from the surrounding counties came to assist.
During this time, experts from the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the Public Services Building came to the site to save as many documents as possible. Since the fire was concentrated on the south side of the building, people were still able to briefly enter the facility. The staff was aware that the fire was concentrated on the sixth floor, where Army and Air Force records were held, and they made it a priority to retrieve boxes of microfilm that held morning reports for the two branches. These reels helped staff reconstruct records that were lost in the fire and are still heavily used to this day.
The fire was finally put out on July 16, and control of the building was returned to the government. The priority was on saving the records that could be salvaged. When staff were allowed onto the sixth floor, they were pleasantly surprised to discover that some of the records on the floor had survived. Records were removed from the affected areas and brought to the parking lot, where tents were set up and employees sorted through the records.
Learn more about the NPRC fire on the Pieces of History blog
On 8/7/2012, a conservator at the National Archives’ National Personnel Records Center works with records damaged by the 1973 fire that destroyed over 16 million Official Military Personnel Files.
Series: Central Digital Photographic Assignment Files Documenting Events, Officials, Facilities, and Operations, 1/3/2006 - 12/19/2013
Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789 - ca. 2007
Image description: A conservator wearing blue nitrile gloves separates pages from a block of papers that are curled, singed, and crumbling around the edges. A rusty Acco fastener holds part of the file together.
“It's been 50 years since the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) fire, and the National Archives and the nation are still recovering from the ashes. I’ve seen firsthand the extraordinary lengths our staff in St. Louis go to every day to piece back together the records our veterans and their families need. It's a sobering reminder of both how important and how fragile our mission can be,” said Dr. Colleen Shogan, Archivist of the United States.
On the anniversary of the NPRC fire, the National Archives has created a new Special Topics page sharing its most comprehensive effort to document the history and resources available to understand the NPRC fire, its aftermath, and the changes it led to in policies and procedures. The new page contains records and resources related to the fire, including an extensive ongoing oral history project from the National Archives Historian, images from the St. Louis Preservation Lab of how staff work with burned records, a one-page fact sheet, and a quick access link to requesting veterans’ records online.
Learn more about these new resources on the Remembering the 1973 NPRC Fire Special Topics Page:
On July 12, 1973, a fire on the sixth floor of the National Archives’ Military Personnel Records Center destroyed over 16 million Official Military Personnel Files.
Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration
Series: Photographs Relating to the Fire at the Military Personnel Records Center in 1973
Image description: A long, six-story building. The window frames on the sixth floor are bent and warped from heat, and smoke is coming out of some of the openings. Fire truck ladders are reaching up to aim water at the fire.
Go behind the scenes to see the National Personnel Records Center's new state-of-the-art preservation lab. In 1973, a fire in NPRC's former building destroyed an estimated 16 to 18 million military personnel files. Six million more were recovered with varying degrees of fire and water damage. As individual files are requested, preservation technicians painstakingly treat the documents for damage and mold.
The disastrous fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in 1973 not only destroyed millions of military personnel records, but the after-effects had long-term repercussions on the facility and the National Archives staff.
Despite employees being permitted to return to the building after two months, the facility had undergone significant changes due to the fire. Personnel reported that the building still smelled like a fire long after it had been cleaned. The sixth floor suffered considerable damage and was demolished, with a new roof built in its place. As a result, there was less storage and office space than before.
A 1977 General Services Administration (GSA) study revealed that many other facilities had similar risks as the NPRC. The report detailed how these other locations could mitigate the risks of a fire. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely stop the risks and in 1978 a fire broke out in one of the vaults at the Washington National Records Center in Suitland, MD, destroying 12 million feet of newsreel.
In 2011, The NPRC moved to a new facility in St. Louis. Staff relocated over a hundred million records from the old facility, including burnt records. Even though the location has changed, there are dedicated teams assigned to answering requests for records that were damaged in the fire.
Learn more about the aftermath of the 1973 fire on the Pieces of History blog:
Fort Wayne men who served with Colonel George Armstrong Custer in 1876
Private John Noonan is shown second from right in this public domain photo with Colonel George Armstrong Custer from the page Bloody Knife . He was an American Indian who served as a scout and guide for the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment. He was the favorite scout of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and has been called "perhaps the most famous Native American scout to serve the U.S. Army." The bear Custer shot and later said to be his greatest hunting achievement was during his Black Hills Expedition (1874) both on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. The History Centerposted the same photo June 25, 2020 on Facebook with additional information.
The Men Who Won 'Custer's Last Stand' video about David Humphreys Miller from Van Wert, Ohio while a high school student traveled to South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, interviewed and painted portraits of the the survivors of the 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn by Eric Olson published March 23, 2017 on ABC WPTA21.com TV station .
GE’s WWI memorial merits care A memorial to GE workers who served in World War I was erected by fellow employees on Nov. 11, 1924, has hundreds of names on it, all GE employees who served in World War I. Included are the names of six GE employees who died in the war. By Frank Gray published November 20, 2012 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. General Electric Company Donates WWI Memorial to City on City of Fort Wayne Indiana Parks & Recreation. On May 24, 2013, the City of Fort Wayne rededicated it at its new location in McCulloch Park from GE Donates World War 1 Memorial to Fort Wayne, Indiana by PB Cora published May 29, 2013 on WWI Centenail Network America Remembers the Great War.
122nd Fighter Wing at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base at Baer Field
Home of the Blacksnakes
The 122nd Fighter Wing, flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II out of the Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Fort Wayne International Airport is adjacent to the base and is also known by its original name, Baer Field. Baer Field was named for 1st Lieutenant Paul Baer, a World War I veteran and Fort Wayne native.
Throwback Thursday .... These historical photo boards were expertly created for the opening of Baer Field Heritage Air Park, the park has been open to the public for almost two years in May. It is open to share our heritage and our mission with the public from 9 A.M. to dusk daily. We have a rich heritage with, Fighters at the Fort, and want to share this heritage with Fort Wayne as we have done here, at Baer Field since 1946 - Thank you Fort Wayne.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpboAmXBHgA
The 122nd Fighter Wing is currently converting from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the A-10 Thunderbolt, also known as the Warthog. from New A-10s arrive at Fort Wayne Courtesy Story July 6, 2010 at National Guard.mil.
Baer Field Heritage Air Park by 122nd Fighter Wing, Home of the Blacksnakes May 16, 2013 on YouTube The 122nd Fighter Wing cut the ribbon, opening the Baer Field Heritage Air Park for the public to enjoy 18 May. The park is located adjacent to the main gate of Indiana Air National Guard's 122nd Fighter Wing at Fort Wayne International Airport.
Currently on display in the park are the F-100, F-4, F-84, F-16 and the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The F-100 was flown at the unit from 1971 to 1979, the F-4 was flown at the unit from 1979 to 1992, the F-84 was flown at the unit from 1958 to 1971, and the F-16 was flown at the unit from 1992 to 2010, the unit currently flies and maintains, the A-10. Future plans include the addition of a P-51 Mustang and a T-33 jet trainer.
Honor Flight Northeast Indiana always in search for more volunteers and veterans - May 11, 2018 - In J.M. Flagg's infamous recruiting poster released in the thick of World War I, Uncle Sam's emphatic finger point with the phrase "I Want YOU for the U.S. Army" was ingrained into the memory of the generations of people that fought in World War I and World War II.
LEGACIES OF THE KOREAN WAR: Marilyn Rinn Krueger Renbarger â Womenâs Army Corps - April 23, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper- During the Korean War, Marilyn Rinn Krueger Renbarger of Fort Wayne served as a WAC (Womenâs Army Corps). However, she didnât serve in Korea but near the glamorous âcity of lightsâ, known as Paris. Her office was in a large villa whose occupant was one of the most famous people in the world. She worked for General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who during World War II had successfully served as Supreme Commander of Allied forces on the Western Front, including the invasion of the Normandy coast at D-Day.
Carl Shoudel, 90 in 2011, is a veteran of the Korean War and World War II, where he fought in the southwest Pacific. He wanted to share his memories of New Guinea, Japan and the Philippine Islands, as most of the wartime memoirs he sees detailing World War II deal with battles in Europe. Read his story in Getting it all down
At 90, WWII veteran details his story in book by
Jaclyn Youhana published August 21, 2011 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
A True Story of a Korean War POW/MIA: Escaped With Honor by Charles Layton, Tammy Elmore and Georgiann Coons. Former Fort Wayne resident's memoir chronicles daring Korean War escape by Sheryl Krieg was published July 22, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
An October 26, 2022 post by Kayleen Reusser Media on Facebook states: Army vet Mike Blough greets Army vet Fritz Bultemeyer and Air Force vet Dr. Al Brothers. Mrs. Bultemeyer, also an Army vet, looks on. Whew! The book launch for Voices From Vietnam: Stories of War in my hometown of Bluffton Indiana is over! A great group of people showed up at the Wells County Public Library to meet and talk with some of the 18 men featured in this book.... Book launch for ‘Voices From Vietnam: Stories of War’ Is in the Books! at Writing of Kayleen Reusser blog.
Finding Indiana Records by the Indiana Historical Society states: Military Records National Archives: www.archives.gov Compiled military service records, individual pension records, and bounty land records, many can now be ordered online or by mail. Some are also searchable on their website. Indiana State Archives: http://www.indianadigitalarchives.org.
Korean War, 1950-1953About this collection The Korean War Digital Collection features letters, photographs, and manuscript items from the collectionsof Korean War veterans from Indiana: Byford Lee Reed, Ralph A. Bond, Edward E. Gray, Harry W. Brooks, Jr., and Donald F. Lawlis. At We Do History online digital collection by the Indiana Historical Society.
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975About this collection Following the conclusion of the French Indochina War in 1954, Vietnam was divided into communist North Vietnam and noncommunist South Vietnam. In the late 1950s, North Vietnam activated communist cadres in the South in an effort to take the country by force. Concerned that these actions might trigger a wider war in the area, America pursued intervention eventually committing armed forces in March 1965. Hoosiers volunteered and/or were drafted to serve in all military capacities during what became a controversial conflict at home (known in America as the Vietnam War). In 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed. U.S. troops were withdrawn and many prisoners of war were repatriated. North Vietnamese forces overran the South Vietnamese army by 1975 and created a unified, communist Vietnam. At We Do History online digital collection by the Indiana Historical Society.
History Hub - Are you searching for Navy deck logs or Army unit histories? Records from the Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard? Get started researching your family's military service history with #HistoryHub's Military Records Community this #VeteransDay. Military Records. Copied from November 11, 2022 by US National Archives on Facebook.
The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center at The National Archivesat St. Louis. On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF). The fire destroyed 80% of records for Army personnel discharged November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960 and 75% of Air Force personnel discharged September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964 (with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.).
Ordering a Headstone, Marker or Medallion for a Veteran Buried in a Private Cemetery at United States Department of Veteran Affairs - The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 38.632 "Headstone and Marker Application Process" became effective on July 1, 2009. This regulation describes the processes required to apply for a Government headstone and marker, as well as request a new emblem of belief be added to the list of emblems available for inscription on headstones and markers. ... If someone other than the NOK is applying for the headstone, marker or medallion, the application package must include a written statement signed by the NOK or decedent authorizing that person (the applicant) to apply for this benefit. A notarized statement is not required for these purposes.
Veteran History Project - The Library of Congress - the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.
What does "No man left behind" truly mean? For Megan Smolenyak, it means working to identify service members from past conflicts, finding their families, and bringing them home in the process of military repatriation.
She and I discuss Army Repatriation - a perfect topic with Memorial Day approaching. Itâs time to continue to honor our fallen soldiers - and help them finally return to their families.
Official Register of the United States 90 volumes of the Official Register of the United States 1816 to 1959. Include names and salaries of all civil servants and in some cases members of the military as well.
Register of the Department of State Persons employed in the department and diplomatic, consular and territorial service. 38 volumes cover 1870 to 1950 showing staff names and salaries.
Society of Colonial Wars over 85 books covering the officers and members of the Society of Colonial Wars written between 1893 and 1921. National membership level and State level.
Sons of the American Revolution over 130 books published between 1889 and 1930, details about the membership, including the National Society and State level societies.
Sons of the Revolution links to 150 books published between 1884 and 1923 with details about the membership, including the National Society and State level societies.
Premiering now on our @YouTube channel: Rachael Salyer shares how #genealogists can use military records to gain deeper insight into family members’ service during the #KoreanWar.
2023 Genealogy Series - Accessing and Understanding Korean War Army Unit Records (2023 June 7)YouTube
Premiered Jun 7, 2023Know Your Records: Foreign Policy, Military Records & Investigations
2023 Genealogy Series, Session 5 of 6 - Accessing and Understanding Korean War Army Unit Records by Rachael Salyer
Rachael Salyer is a Subject Matter Expert in Modern Military Records and an Archivist from the National Archives at College Park, MD
â Presentation Slides/Handout: https://www.archives.gov/files/calend...
â Transcript: Request from KYR@nara.gov â Event Evaluation Form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KYREve...
â 2023 Genealogy Series web page: https://www.archives.gov/calendar/gen...
â 2023 Genealogy Series playlist:    â˘Â 2023 Genealogy Se... Â
In honor of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that officially ended the Korean War, this session is being offered as an introduction to two large series that contain records relating to Army units that served during that conflict: the Command Reports, 1949â1954 (entry NM-3 29) in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office (Record Group 407) and the Unit Histories, 1943â1967 (entry UD 37042) in the Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (World War II and Thereafter) (Record Group 338). The records in these series provide information about the activities and engagements of specific Army units that may give genealogists a deeper insight into their family members’ service. The presentation will outline how to use available finding aids to search for relevant records, and it will also include examples of the types of records that are generally found in these series. The session will conclude with some troubleshooting tips and a few additional resources. 00:00 - Welcome
01:39 - Introduction to Accessing and Understanding Korean War Army Unit Records
01:50 - Presenter biography 03:11 - Session Overview
05:12 - Army Unit Command Structure
06:31 - Affects of the 1973 St. Louis Fire on Army Unit Records
07:21 - Records of the Adjutant General's Office, RG 407
10:34 - Unit Histories 1943-1967, RG 338
13:10 - Samples of Command Reports and Unit Histories
16:38 - General Orders (GO)
20:14 - Search Tips and Troubleshooting
23:00 - Additional Resources 25:26 - Closing, Event Survey, Other Resources
26:44 - Questions and Answers in the chat
#Genealogy#KnowYourRecords#GenieSeries2023
John McGauley
 â˘Â 2023 Genealogy Se... Â