I have been continuing my attempt to get organized. Now that my office space is organized, I have joined ancestry.com and find the information available very intriguing. I found these questions for my work on Archie Harvey. I will continue!!
QUESTIONS / World War I
•Which branch did he serve in? Did he enlist or was he drafted? How did he feel about the draft? Was he opposed to serving in the military or was he proud to serve his country?
•Describe basic training. Who was his commanding officer? Who were his peers? Where and for how long was he trained? What did he learn?
•Did he have trouble getting along with anyone in his unit? Why? What became of it? How did he deal with it?
•Did he have a nickname? What were the memorable nicknames of others?
•How did he feel about sharing his space with others? Did it feel cramped at first? Was it easy to get used to?
•What was his most vivid memory of this time? Specific people or places? A certain event?
•Did basic training build up or cut down his self-confidence? Why or why not? Did he feel as if he was well-prepared for his duties? Did it turn out that he was prepared?
•Was he especially skilled at one particular task? Did it become his "specialty"?
•Where was he stationed after basic training? What were the people and the surrounding areas like? How long was he there?
•How did he keep in touch with his friends and family back home during this time? Did he save any letters he might have written or received?
•Did he become close friends with any of those he fought with? Did they keep in touch in later years? Did he save any of their lives? Did they save his?
•Which battles did he fight in? Describe the time, place, number of participants, and what happened. How did these battles affect the war as a whole? What role did his unit play in this battle?
•World War I is often described as a war fought "in the trenches." Did he experience this type of fighting? Describe what this was like.
•World War I introduced many new things to warfare, including tanks, U-boats, poison gas, and aviation. Did he use any of these innovations during the war? What were his experiences?
•Was he injured in any way? Describe what happened. What went through his mind when he realized he was hurt?
•If he was injured, did he heal quickly or not? Did he return home because of the injury, or did he go back to fight? How did it change him in ways that he noticed years later?
•Did he ever need to take someone's life? Describe the experience and how it affected him both immediately and in the long term.
•An armistice was declared on November 11, 1918, after 10 million soldiers had been killed. Did he join in any victory celebrations? What was the mood of the soldiers?
•What did he think of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and his treaty making capabilities? Did he think that this was a peace that would last? What did he think of the League of Nations?
•Why did he leave the service? Honorable discharge? Injury? End of active duty? Describe the circumstances and how he felt about them.
•Was he able to return to "normal functioning"? Was it easy to put it all behind him and get on with his life, or did he have to struggle? What was hardest to adjust to once he returned?
•Was there someone or something that was helpful in getting him through this period of adjustment? Could he suggest anything helpful to someone going through a similar situation?
•After all was said and done, what did he learn from his experiences in the military? Why were these lessons valuable to him? How did they change him and his ideas or values?
•How would he be different if he had never had these experiences?
•What sort of memorabilia did he save from this time? What did it symbolize to him? What memories and feelings did it bring back after the war?
