Sometimes it seems I've been on the Internet forever. I didn't invent it, but I've brushed elbows with Al Gore (who had a lot to do with its implementation, even if he didn't really invent it), and with Dave Panzl (one of the creators of PlayNet, that became the foundation of AOL). My first experience with internet research was an email Listserv for genealogy, followed by a PlayNet chat room around 1983-84, then Q-Link forums (1985), then AOL forums (1991), and since then all the-in-between services that led up to today's amazing online and portable technologies. I had the opportunity to author one chapter of the book "The Internet Unleashed 1997" which also shows you I've been around the block more than once. All of those experiences led me to where I am today--still exploring, always in amazement, and among some of the oldest online genealogy pioneers still poking a stick into the genealogical stew pot.
Researching the WW1 military involvement of your ancestor in the United States has unique challenges. A 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) destroyed about 16-18 million official military personnel files (OMPF). The official National Archives web site … Continue reading →
