Finding Your Father's War: A Practical Guide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War II U.S. Army

By Jonathan Gawne

A guide to learning more about your relatives’ experience serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.

In this fully revised edition of Finding Your Father’s War, military historian Jonathan Gawne has written an easily accessible handbook for anyone seeking greater knowledge of their relatives’ experience in World War II, or indeed anyone seeking a better understanding of the U.S. Army during World War II.

With over 470 photographs, charts, and an engaging narrative with many rare insights into wartime service, this book is an invaluable tool for understanding our “citizen soldiers,” who once rose as a generation to fight the greatest war in American history.

“Jonathan's Gawne’s book is a 5-star blueprint, well-written and beautifully illustrated, to deciphering a loved one’s WW2 U.S. Army service.” —The Commander’s Voice

“A great read not only for genealogists wishing to research an ancestor, but also for those who simply have an interest in the United States Army during World War II . . . written so that anyone, even those with no military background, can understand, yet also includes more advanced information . . . detail is phenomenal . . . a must read reference book for any professional genealogist or military historian.” —APG Quarterly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Casemate Publishers
• Release date: Dec 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781636240107

Jonathan Gawne

Jon Gawne is considered one of the leading experts on the history of American Army uniforms and equipment in both world wars. His numerous articles for Militaria Magazine have covered everything from the shortage of winter clothing during the Battle of the Bulge to the history of dog tags. His writings have been translated into many languages, including French, Italian and Czech, and are equally popular in both Europe and the US. He has been a technical consultant for films and museums. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and a small spoiled dog, in a house overrun with books, documents and military memorabilia.

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Reviews for Finding Your Father's War

[slipdigit · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I bought this book because it looked like it could be a good resource and it is for the average person who is researching ancestors who have served in the armed forces of the United States. It is well organized and author seems to go out of his way not to speak above the reader's understanding and prior exposure.The book provides good information on the background, organization, and composition of various military units and would be especially useful for the novice who knows nothing about military organizations.Other chapters discuss the various records produced and how to find them. The author provides good insight to access public records at locations such as NARA in St Louis and the Carlisle Barracks and give good tips on what to expect from the staff. Also included are addresses, both brick and mortar and electronic of all the locations where pertinent records might be found.All in all, I consider this valuable resource for the individual researching their ancestor wartime experience and would especially useful for the novice who would not even know where to start.Also, throughout the book, there are additional books and reference materials listed in text boxes. Some of the books, I am familiar with and they are excellent resources themselves, so I suspect the other listed books are also.10/10 A must for the novice researcher and a good addition for the knowledgeable historian.