Military Memories

In honor of Memorial Day, I’ll mention two items appropriate for the occasion. First, if you enjoyed the books Dating Old Photographs and More Dating Old Photographs (Moorshead Magazines), then you’re going to love the new one in the series. Dating Military Photographs will let you compare all your mysterious military images to those other people have submitted.

If you’d like to contribute a few pictures, you can read more about the project on the Family Chronicle Web site. The editors are looking for images of miltary personnel from the Mexican War up to and including World War I. The editors have asked for a little information about each picture, such as when the person served.

Speaking of World War I, attendees at the National Genealogical Society conference in Kansas City were treated to one of the country’s best museums (that’s my opinion anyway). Who knew the city housed a museum dedicated to World War I? I didn’t. A colleague suggested it was well worth a visit. She was right! The National World War One Museum was a visual experience:

• Visitors watch two movies about the time period that include actual footage from the era.

• A recreated trench lets you experience how scary it must have been to fight from those mud-walled pits.

• There are tanks and uniforms galore as well as a poppy field of honor for those who died during the war.

The uniform displays alone taught me a few things about military attire during that world war. If you get a chance to visit Kansas City, make sure you include a visit to this museum.

If you have an image of an ancestor in a World War I uniform, send it to me. I’ll feature it next week.