New PMML Genealogy Services
New PMML Genealogy Services
By Jennifer Berzin, Reference & Circulation Manager, Pritzker Military Museum & Library
There is a common theme with many people who come into the PMML, or have called or sent an email to library staff asking questions about various aspects of military service or military history, telling us they have a grandfather who served in World War II, or an uncle who served during Vietnam, and have always been curious what their relatives went through during that period in their lives, because they never discussed their experiences.
If you’ve ever tried to do genealogy research, the process can be very interesting and rewarding, but also time-consuming and sometimes, a little intimidating, especially if you don’t know where to start. Working with historic information can prove challenging as well. Sometimes it’s difficult to read the handwritten documents or you are unable to decipher the military terminology on separation papers or other military related documents. Oftentimes, there is only a certain amount of information available and some questions are unanswerable due to information that was never recorded or lost to time.
This is where PMML staff hope to help. We’ve launched two new genealogy packages for both PMML members and the public (non-members) where staff do the research for you and provide you with the results. We are offering a ‘Basic Inquiry’ option, which allows you to ask a specific question related to a service member’s military service, or a ‘full report’ option where PMML staff will not only use our own resources but will also contact outside institutions and provide you with a digital report of our findings to give you a fuller picture of your service member’s military service.
The basic inquiry option is for those who may have done some research before and would like a specific question answered. Staff will use PMML library resources, mainly books from our vast library collection of over 70,000 titles which include military history books, unit histories, technical guides, books on specific tanks, airplanes, and ships, books on different military uniforms, and other online databases. With this option, for a non-member fee of $25 and free of charge for PMML members, you will receive an answer to your question and will not receive any accompanying supplementary images or documentation.
For the full report, at a cost of $75 for non-members and $60 for PMML members, PMML staff will use the above mentioned resources in our collection, and, with written permission from you, the patron, will contact outside organizations on your behalf. We will use sources like the National Archives, state archives, and other relevant libraries or archives to provide you with a concise, up to five pages maximum, with a more detailed look at the service member you would like to research. This option is intended for those who have never done genealogy research before, and/or have never contacted institutions like the National Archives to obtain documents.
The full report will potentially include the following information, subject to availability: a short, approximately one to two paragraphs, narrative biography of the service member (including their full name, date of birth, where they lived, who they were married to, and when they died), a brief narrative history of the unit they served with, and if available, images of maps where their unit may have served and medals they may have received. The full report will be delivered to you digitally by email and the remaining payment will be due upon receipt.
With both the basic inquiry and, in particular, the full report option all the information provided will be subject to availability. You may have heard of the devastating 1973 fire that occurred at the National Archives in St. Louis where many military records were lost. Although National Archives staff have tried to reconstruct these files, in many cases they were unfortunately unable to do so. Additionally, while we ask that questions be as specific as possible to help us locate the correct information, often we will only be able to find general information on, for example, what a service member may have done as an Air Force bomber in the 445th Bomb Group during World War II, and not necessarily the specific daily actions of one person who served in that unit. As researchers we are dealing with historic documents that only provide the information that is available that was recorded or saved.
As an add-on to your research request, or as a standalone purchase, the PMML also offers an option to Commemorate Their Service™. The purpose of this initiative is to honor veterans with a bookplate placed in one of the books in our library collection that somehow relates to their military service. For more information, you can visit our webpage.
For a more detailed look at these options, please view our website or contact the PMML Library Services department. Library staff will also be hosting a genealogy program on December 11th, with a virtual option if you are not local and would still like to attend. We hope you will consider the PMML to assist with your research needs.