According to the U.S. Veterans Administration, 430 World War II veterans pass away each day. Of course, so many of our country's "greatest generation" are already gone, leaving the history of their service (and legacy) to be preserved and organized by family members.

As a personal historian, I've received more than a few inquiries from family members wishing to preserve their parents or grandparents war time record. While feeling a real duty and obligation, they are often daunted by the task that awaits them. To illustrate, one woman told me she had just completed reading 500 of her parent's letters sent while her Dad was overseas in the Pacific! She has also saved the letters she sent to him as a child.

"I wish I had that problem!"  I know very little about my father's service, also a World War II vet, except what my older siblings have shared during family get-togethers.  One physical memento still intact is his "Eisenhower jacket," which contains a patch indicating that he worked in radio communications.

While it may be of little comfort, those who have inherited letters, photos, documents, dairies and other memorobia should take heart - you have plenty of material to include in a rich story.