Category Archives: Military

The Story I was catching up on my blog reading while waiting for my hair appointment.  I had come across the post Help Find a WW2 Soldier from Illinois over at Olive Tree Genealogy, and just barely started reading it when they called me back […]

John Ward McMAHON, my great-grandfather, was apparently a temporary member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves in 1945 and possibly participated in World War II.  Below is a Certificate of Enrollment as a Temporary Member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, dated 27 July 1945.

This is a State of Illinois Service Recognition Certificate that was awarded to my grandfather in 1947 after serving in World War II.

This is a scrapbook from my grandfather’s time in World War II.

When I started doing research involving military records, I had a hard time deciphering documents due to unfamiliar terminology.  I found myself looking up terms, the same terms, over and over.  So I started a list of terms I came across and looked them up […]

While visiting mom in Arizona for Christmas, we took a day trip to Bisbee, a mining town in Southern Arizona.  I wanted to share with you a beautiful WWII memorial that I found located near the Lavender Pit. A quick search turned up a news […]

The following photos are of the Civil War Memorial (U.S. Grant Post No. 28 G.A.R, 1861-1865), taken at Elmwood Park Cemetery in River Grove, Illinois.

My grandfather, John Francis CAHILL served in World War II.  Part of my active research is to learn more about his time in the service.  I have lots of papers and photos, but I don’t know much about his experience.  Here’s what I do know: […]