Last night I checked in at the Radisson Hotel in Salt Lake City, dropped my luggage in my room, and headed to the SLIG check in.  Christy Fillerup, Director, has done a fantastic job pulling this institute together.  The check in went so seamless, everyone that had arrived had picked up their materials within the [...]

When the bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor, early Sunday morning 7 December 1941, they impacted every single man, woman, and child in the United States.  In a manner of minutes, our nation was thrust into a war we didn’t want.  We had watched Hitler’s advance across Europe, wanted to stay out of his war and [...]

In honor of Pearl Harbor day, Ancestry is giving free access to the World War II collections in the database. This includes the just released North Carolina World War II Draft Registration Cards with almost two million images! Men who registered were born 1897-1929. This collection is FREE to access from December 2 – 7, [...]

Have you wished you could afford a subscription to Fold3 and could access the military records in their database?  Your wish has come true! Fold3 is offering one year all access memberships for $47.95!  That’s a 40 percent savings over the regular price of $79.95.   Get it today! To subscribe, click on this link:  Fold3    [...]

Unless you’re fresh off the boat, or your family has all been in the U.S. since the beginning of our country, I’m betting you have an immigrant ancestor who fought in a war.  My grandfather, Whitney McQuire, was born in Ontario, Canada, yet fought for the U.S. in World War I, in Company I of [...]

John Michael Frank served in the Revolutionary War from Montgomery, New York.  As a reward for his war service, he was given a patent on lot 43, Virgil, (now Cortland County), New York. Did your ancestor serve in the Revolutionary War from New York?  If so, he may have been granted a patent in the [...]

If your family has been in the United States since the 1940s chances are you are related to someone who served in World War II or helped the cause at home.  This war affected EVERY household. Most people tried to find a way to help contribute to the war efforts.  With the men at war, [...]

If your family lived in the U.S. when the bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor that early December morning 1941, chances are someone in your family stepped up to serve.   Just about every U.S. household was affected in some way by World War II.   My dad, David Farrell, joined the Army Air Corps.  His brother Stephen [...]

During World War I Whitney McQuire served in Company I of the 339 Infantry. As part of the Polar Bear Expedition (the A.N.R.E.F. or American North Russia Expeditionary Force), Whitney was sent to Arkhangelsk, Russia, to fight against the Bolsheviks.   Though greatly outnumbered by the enemy, Whitney lived to tell his story. Reconstructing a World [...]

Charles F. Smith was born in Ontario, Canada. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Charles, age 16 1/2, went to Michigan and enlisted in Company E, 2nd Infantry, Michigan Volunteers. After his discharge, he went back to Ontario and lived there the remainder of his life.  Even though he was not a U.S. citizen [...]