- To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ancestry researched the lives of 12 Pearl Harbor survivors, including four USS Arizona veterans, to uncover details about their family history, military service, and genetic diversity.
- Fold3, an Ancestry company, is offering free access to 113 million WWII records during the entire month of December in addition to AncestryDNA and Fold3 subscription discounts.
LEHI, Utah, Dec. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- December 7th will mark the 75th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, and the nation will pause to remember that tragic day in 1941. Fold3 will honor those who served at Pearl Harbor during the attack by showcasing the family and military history of 12 Pearl Harbor veterans. Everyone has a unique story of what led to them, and the heroes at Pearl Harbor are no exception. Featured stories include:
- Donald Stratton was badly wounded when the USS Arizona was bombed. He suffered first- and second-degree burns on his face and ears and third-degree burns on his extremities. Stratton wasn’t the first in his family to be wounded while serving his country. His great-grandfather Daniel Griffin Grice served in the Civil War as a private in Company I, 76th Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry. After losing a thumb when his weapon accidentally discharged, Grice returned to duty and was later shot in the foot during a charge on Fort Blakely in Alabama. Learn more.
- Lonnie Cook also served on the USS Arizona. Cook didn’t know at the time that his 5th great-grandfather was James Cobb Sr., a militia captain during the Revolutionary War. Cobb came to the role with experience, after the governor of Virginia appointed him a captain in the state militia in 1769. Learn more.
- Cass Phillips was a radioman at Pearl Harbor who reenlisted the month after the attack and went on to serve in the military for more than 20 years. His military roots can be traced back to Daniel Elijah Hardin, Cass’s great-grandfather, who served in a Texas cavalry battalion during the Civil War and fought at the Battle of Vicksburg. Learn more.
- Lawrence Parry was stationed in Oahu in December 1941 and was sent to the bay just after the attacks. Research has uncovered another soldier in the family. Brush Marvin, Larry’s 4th great-grandfather, served in a short campaign at Fishkill in Capt. Godfrey’s company of Col. Sam Whiting’s Regiment, Connecticut, 4th Militia in October 1777. Brush was a part of the campaign to fortify the Patriot position at Fishkill. Learn more.
To learn about all 12 featured survivors, visit www.fold3.com/pearlharbor. Anyone visiting the site can view the Fold3 USS Arizona interactive virtual memorial and receive free access to more than 113 million WWII records during the month of December. Fold3 hopes these resources can help each user discover their own military ancestors and the brave lives they led.
The WWII collections contain 35 million WWII draft registration cards, including over 11 million young men’s draft cards available only on Fold3. Also included are the Pearl Harbor Muster Rolls with more than 1.7 million records of personnel assigned to ships based at Pearl Harbor for the years 1939-1947. A few of the WWII records available to view for free in December include:
1) WWII Missing Air Crew Reports
2) WWII Navy Muster Rolls
3) World War II War Diaries
4) WWII “Old Man’s Draft” Registration cards
5) WWII Captured German Records
6) WWII European Theater Army Records
Visitors to the site can also receive $10 off AncestryDNA, and $30 off a Fold3 annual membership.
About Fold3
Fold3 provides convenient access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. The Fold3 name comes from a traditional flag folding ceremony in which the third fold is made in honor and remembrance of veterans who served in defense of their country and to maintain peace throughout the world. Digital images of original records at Fold3 help you discover and share stories about these everyday heroes, forgotten soldiers, and the families that supported them. On Fold3, you can combine records found on the site with what you have in your own albums and shoeboxes to create an online memorial for someone who served.
About Ancestry
Ancestry, the global leader in family history and consumer genomics, harnesses the information found in family trees, historical records, and DNA to help people gain a new level of understanding about their lives. Ancestry has more than 2.4 million paying subscribers across its core Ancestry websites and more than 2.5 million DNA samples in the AncestryDNA database. Since 1996, more than 19 billion records have been added, and users have created more than 80 million family trees on the Ancestry flagship site and its affiliated international websites. Ancestry offers a suite of family history products and services including AncestryDNA, Archives, ProGenealogists, Newspapers.com and Fold3.