Working with military records

Part of my job with the National Archives is working with Archival records which date back 1945 and prior. (See my previous post regarding how NARA determines what records are determined archival).

What I find fascinating is reviewing the lives of people who served our country during the Great Wars. When I hold a piece of aged document in my hand my mind hearkens back to the days when this soldier served...what was racing through his mind? Was he afraid of not returning home? I had serviced families whose loved ones fought in Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor and the Pacific Theatre.

I work cases from all branches of service but not for the Army and parts of the Air Force...unless retired due to the fire we had at NARA in 1973.

With all the records we have, according to NARA, "...laid side to side, pages in our holdings would circle the Earth over 57 times!" It is amazing the wealth of information stored here!