Author’s Note: Bob Leonard’s Substack post, “At the End of Life, Documenting What Came Before,” reminded me to share the following items. Both were byproducts of work that I undertook from 2004 - 2016 developing an exhaustive family history. As part of that effort, I also sought out LST #705 crew members that had served with my late father during World War II. The first, and only, history of LST was a byproduct of that effort.
In undertaking that work, I didn’t want just a data intensive family tree or ship’s history. I wanted to capture the essence of the people. I wanted personal stories. To help get the personal storytelling ball rolling, I created two sets of questions. I share those here in hopes that they will be a valuable nudge for you/your family members/friends as well. PDF versions are attached so that you may download and share, which I encourage you to do.
Based on personal experience, I suggest that you do both a written and a video story. Handwritten stories are precious, but it’s also a comfort to be able to hear that person. Do both if you can.
I. WRITING A PERSONAL HISTORY
Among the most cherished elements of a family history are the personal recollections shared by older family members. I know, because my maternal Great-Grandfather wrote two lengthy overviews of his life, which have been a precious gift to his descendants.
In the event that you need them, the following questions suggest possible topics to address in your personal history.
1. Childhood
a. Do you know the origin of your name (e.g., did your parents name you after an ancestor)?
b. What do you know about your developmental milestones (e.g., first step, first word)?
c. Did you have a nickname as a child? If so, what was it? Why was that name selected?
d. Did you have a favorite toy? If so, what was it? Why? Do you still have that toy?
e. Did you have a favorite pet? Was it a dog, a cat, or another animal? What’s your favorite memory of that pet?
f. Did you enjoy reading as a child? If so, what was your favorite book or series of books (e.g., Hardy Boys)?
g. Who was your favorite athlete? Movie star? Singer? Why? Did you ever see her/him perform live? If so, when/where?
h. What was your favorite television show as a child? Why?
i. Did you learn to play a musical instrument? If so, which one? Why did you pick that instrument?
j. Did you have household chores to do as a child? If so, which ones?
k. Did you receive an allowance as a child? If so, how much did you receive in the beginning? How much did you receive at the end? How long did you receive an allowance?
l. Did you keep a diary or a personal journal? If so, do you still have it?
m. Did you collect anything as a child (e.g., baseball cards, dolls, nickels)? Why did you decide to collect that type of item? Do you still have your collection?
n. What’s the best memory you have of your childhood?
2. Education
a. Do you recall your first day of school (i.e., month/day/year)? What was the school (i.e., name/city/state)?
b. Did you walk to school? Ride a bicycle to school? Ride the bus?
c. Which high school did you attend (e.g., year, school name/city/state)?
d. In school, were you involved in any extracurricular activities? Did you receive any special honors (e.g., voted most likely to have to stay after school because you were talking in class)?
e. If you attended a college or trade school, which one (e.g., year, school name/city/state & major)? Why did
you pick that institution?
f. Who were your best friends in school? Are you still in touch with them?
g. Do you have a favorite teacher? If so, who was he/she? Why?
h. What was your favorite class during your entire educational career? Why?
3. Homes
a. Where did you live? When?
b. Which house/home was your favorite? Why?
c. What do you remember about your neighbors? Your neighborhood? If you lived on a farm at any point in your life, what do you miss most about it, if anything? If you’re still living on a farm, what do you like most about it?
4. Activities
a. For which organizations, if any, have you been a volunteer (i.e., type of work & organization)? Why did you pick that group(s)? Did you hold any leadership roles in the organization(s)?
b. What hobbies do you have?
c. Have you received any civic awards?
d. Did you hold elective or appointive public office? If so, which offices? When? Did you ever run for elective office but lose? If so, which office? When?
5. Family
a. Who was your “first love”?
b. When/where/how did you meet your spouse?
c. What’s the key to a successful relationship?
d. What special memories do you have of your Father? Mother? If you were a foster child, did you have any special foster parents?
e. What special memories do you have of your maternal Grandparents? Paternal Grandparents?
f. What special memories do you have of your paternal Uncles and Aunts? Maternal Uncles and Aunts?
g. What special memories do you have of times spent with your Brothers? Sisters?
h. Did you have family reunions? If so, when/where were they held? Any special memories?
i. Did you go on regular family vacations? If so, where did you usually go? What was memorable about those trips?
j. What’s the funniest thing that happened in your family while you were growing up?
k. Every family has favorite foods and/or favorite meals (e.g., my Grandmother always made Jell-O with marshmallows and/or bananas for family gatherings). What were yours? Do you have the recipes for those dishes?
l. When you were young and didn’t have school work to do, what was a typical night like at your house? Did you read? Play board games? Listen to baseball games on the radio?
6. Career/Business (see following section for military service)
a. What was the first (paying) job you held? When & where? What did you learn from it?
b. Why did you select your career? Explain what your primary duties were. Describe a typical work day.
c. What career advice, if any, do you have for family members planning or beginning their careers?
d. What was your biggest professional failure? How did you overcome it? What lessons did you learn from that experience?
e. What about your jobs did you find most satisfying? Least satisfying?
f. Did you invent anything? Was your invention patented?
7. Favorites
a. What’s your favorite book? Why?
b. What’s your favorite food? Why?
c. What’s your favorite movie? Why?
d. What’s your favorite song? Why?
e. What’s your most cherished possession? Why?
8. Reflections
a. What’s the best advice you ever received?
b. What advice would you give to a young person?
c. If you could do your life over again, what would you change?
d. Did you have any mentors? If so, who were they? Why were they influential in your life?
e. What role did religion play in your life? Did your religious views change over time? If so, how? Why?
f. What was your greatest achievement? Greatest failure?
g. How has the nation changed in your lifetime? Were those changes beneficial? How did they influence your life?
h. What were the pivotal moments in your life? Why were they so important?
i. If you are old enough to remember, do you recall how you heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor? The bombing of Japan & the end of World War II? The death of President Kennedy?
j. What’s the best invention that’s come along in your lifetime (e.g., the microwave oven, cruise control on your car, panty hose, or disposable diapers for children?)
k. Do you have a “bucket list” (i.e., a list of things you’d like to do before you die)? If so, what’s on it?
l. If you could relive one day in your life, which day would it be? Why? What special happened that day?
m.What’s the funniest joke you’ve heard in your life?
II. WRITING A MILITARY SERVICE HISTORY
Whether you survived the most harrowing battles of a war or were a peacetime soldier, sailor, or airman (or service woman), your story is important. Even in the depths of peacetime, military service imposes burdens, requires sacrifices, and fosters an ethic of service to others. For many, it’s a pivotal point in their adult lives. Insights into that critical time and how it shaped your life are invaluable to your children, grandchildren, and society at large.
If you’ve been hesitant to share your story because the memories, although decades old, are too painful, or you don’t know how to start, I offer the following suggestions.
1. Start Simply. Obtain Your Military Services Records, If You Don’t Already Have Them. Once you have them in hand, annotate them. If it’s not obvious, explain where you traveled during your service career. Several of my late father’s crewmates on LST #705 kept detailed logs which were a valuable supplement to their official records (and in some cases, the official ship’s records as well).
Explain the military jargon, so that civilian family members may understand what ATB, AGS, GM3, and other acronyms common in military records mean. This is particularly important as terminology changes over time and the same acronym may have different meanings for different branches of the military.
2. Locate and Organize All Other Relevant Materials (e.g., letters, medals, photographs, records, and other mementos). Identify who is in each photograph, when and where it was taken, and the events and individuals pictured therein. Tag other items with a detailed description. Be mindful that a family member might not understand the significance, for example, of a Silver Star, so write your explanations with a civilian reader in mind.
3. Record Your Recollections.[2] Start by recording your branch of service, the date you enlisted, the date you were discharged, your final rank, and where you were stationed during your time in the military. Describe your job(s) and the related training.
If possible, chronicle the activities of a typical day. (LST 705 crew, for example, told me delightful stories about meeting the challenges of doing laundry and preparing/serving meals aboard ship, the antics of the dogs and monkey they brought on board ship, being treated by the ship’s baker to late night grilled cheese sandwiches, and fantail parties.) Talk about military traditions too, such as the “crossing over” ceremony and other special events. Other topics that you might wish to address could include the following:
a. What is your fondest memory of your service?
b. Did you make friends in the service that you are still in touch with? If so, who? Why did you stay buddies all these years?
c. Which foreign countries, if any, did you visit while you were in the service? What recollections do you have of those places? Have you visited them again as a civilian?
d. What was your last day like at home before you went off to the service? What did you do?
e. Do you have any cherished souvenirs from your service? If so, what are they and why are they special to you?
f. Did anyone in the family save any of the letters you wrote home while away? If so, would you share those letters?
4. Write About Your Buddies. Perhaps this may be your most important task. Many of your colleagues may no longer be able to speak for themselves. Your memories of your buddies, therefore, will be particularly cherished by their children and grandchildren. Please share them.
5. Consider Your Experiences and Their Historical Significance. Consider as Well the Historical Significance to the People Around You. In the course of a family history project, I learned that a female family member enlisted as a WAVE during WWII. A math teacher before the war, she taught math to pilots. Another family member was a guard at a German Prisoner of War camp in Texas during World War II, certainly an unusual experience. Unfortunately, no recollections of this unique experience were preserved. As you reflect on your service experience, therefore, give thought to the historical implications for all parties involved.
6. Finally, Write About the Lessons to be Learned from Your Military Service. Explain the impact that military service had on your life. If you’re uncomfortable with some of your thoughts, seal those recollections in an envelope to be opened after your death.
7. Contribute Your Story to the Library of Congress’s Veterans’ History Project and Other Similar Initiatives.[3] The significance of your story telling cannot be underestimated both to your family and to society at large. Poet Maya Angelou said it well. “People live in direct relation to the heroes they have, keep and admire. If a people have no one to respect or to hold in high regard, they will find little inside themselves to glory and to honor.”[4]
[1] Copyright by Sharon Lawrence, PO Box 387, San Marcos, TX 78667-0387 (September 2016).
[2] I suggest a written account as paper (especially the acid-free type) is the best long-term storage medium. If you’re more comfortable creating an audio or video record of your story, consider preparing a companion written transcript.
[3] See http://www.loc.gov/vets.
[4] Angelou, Maya, “Let’s Thank Those Who Came Before Us,” Parade (December 25, 2005; p. 4.)
