Online Registry for World War II Veterans Goes Live on National WWII Memorial Web Site

releases.usnewswire.com ^

[chance33_98]

Online Registry for World War II Veterans Goes Live on National WWII Memorial Web Site

7/3/03 1:00:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Mike Conley of the American Battle Monuments Commission, 703-696-6778; 571-216-6115 (cell); (additional contacts listed below) web: http://www.WWIImemorial.com

WASHINGTON, July 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- At a time when fewer than one in ten adults recognize that 16 million Americans served in uniform during the Second World War, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) today introduced a World War II Registry online to document the names of those who participated in history's largest and most devastating war.

The Registry is accessible on the web site of the National World War II Memorial (http://www.WWIImemorial.com). Any American that served in the armed forces or contributed to the war effort on the home front, whether in factories and shipyards or farms and neighborhoods, is eligible.

There is no charge to place a name in the Registry. Individuals can be enrolled through the web site or by calling the memorial's toll free number at 1-800-639-4WW2.

The Registry contains more than one million records, most submitted by the public. The database also includes National Archives and Records Administration lists of those killed in service during the war, and names of those buried in ABMC overseas cemeteries or listed on its Tablets of the Missing.

"We've been compiling names for several years," ABMC spokesman Mike Conley said. "We're making the Registry available now, prior to dedication, to encourage more enrollments. We've only scratched the surface of the database potential."

The memorial is under construction and on schedule for the official dedication ceremony set for Saturday, May 29th, 2004. The Registry will be accessible at the memorial site on the National Mall when the memorial is opened to the public.

Of 1,002 U.S. adults responding to a phone survey in May: 22 percent believed that only 100,000 served in uniform during the war, 34 percent thought one million served, 14 percent thought 8 million served, just 8 percent correctly stated 16 million, and 22 percent didn't know.

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Note to Editors: High-resolution renderings of the memorial are available on the memorial web site at http://www.WWIImemorial.com. Renderings other than those on this web site may not reflect the approved design.

Contacts: ABMC Mike Conley Office: (703) 696-6778 Cell: (571) 216-6115

Burson-Marsteller (for ABMC) Peter Himler Office: (212) 614-4082 Cell: (516) 729-6461

http://www.usnewswire.com/

[Aeronaut]

Ecstatic to be able to post my father's information. I was proud that he served, and I know he was proud that I served - he told me so.

[Howlin]

Question for you: when you started registering him, did you put his orignial address? And did you put YOUR email address?

[Aeronaut]

Unrelated to GA but deserving of a ping nonetheless....

General Aviation Ping list. FReep mail me if you want on or off this list.

[Aeronaut]

The first screen is all you, the second screen is the honoree. (It confused me, too.)

[tgslTakoma]

Sure it's related to Georgia. I'm sure many Georgia natives served proudly in WWII.

[goodnesswins]

I used my addresses.

[Texagirl4W]

Thanks for the ping. The first American to die in WWII was Freddie John Falgout - hometown was Raceland, Louisiana, as was mine. He is not listed here but should be.

Do you know how to 'ping' this to Louisiana Freepers so that someone might see this and enter his information. I've been gone from there so long I wouldn't know who to contact.

[firewalk]

Thanks for the ping
& bttt

[Howlin]

Let's ping Darlin'; I believe that's her neck of the woods.

Darlin', can you help Texasgirl out?

[Darlin']

Hey there. Yes, I'd be happy to do that. :)

[Darlin']

I found this article about Freddie John Falgout. Is that how you remember the story ? I couldn't find anything about him being the first American to die in WWII.

[backhoe]

Thanks- my late Mom belongs there, and I will see to it.

[Howlin]

Oh, you know what, mentioning your mom reminded me of taking my aunt up there for the opening of the Women's Memorial; she was a Lt. Col. in the Army.

I honestly cannot remember EVER having a better time than I had that weekend. We had a HUGE dinner at a hangar at Andrews where we sat by "theaters." There were a million displays and cocktail parties. The little ladies in their uniforms were just so cute you wanted to hug them all (of course, they would have decked you!).

But the most moving thing was the candlelight march they had the last night, from the Lincoln Memorial over the bridge to the cemetary where the memorial actually is.

Children, husbands, babies, the women.....it was startling! I was very moved. Lots of husbands came to honor their wives who had already died!

It was a joyous few days and I can tell you one thing for sure: it was the ONLY time I've been to D.C. when ever single person you saw was friendly and courteous! We even had fun on the Metro!

[Texagirl4W]

This is the same person. However, if he died in 1937 he was not the first casualty of WWII. I do remember a few years back when the American Legion and VFW got together to place a monument in his honor at the Lafourche Tourist Inofrmation Center.

I still read the newspaper from Lafourche Parish every day even though I left there 34 years ago.

[Darlin']

Ok, :) I'm glad that article was still accessible.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Thank you!

[Right_in_Virginia]

Thank you!

[barker]

Just added my Dad. He was an aircraft mechanic on a carrier. Don't know which one and my mother can't remember.

[Mr. Silverback]

May I ask your dad's ship, circumstances of service, etc.? I'm reading up on Leyte in the next few days.

It must be very hard to have gone these many years without him, but at least you know he's a hero proved in liberating strife.

[Mr. Silverback]

I couldn't find anything about him being the first American to die in WWII.

He'd almost have to be. The Flying Tigers didn't have their first engagement with the Japanese until December of '37, Falgout died in August, and I'm not aware of any other combat going on at that time that involved any American volunteers. Even if there was somebody (say, fighting in the Chinese army or something) Falgout woul be the the first person to die in WWII while serving in an active U.S. military unit.