November 2018 Will Be The 100th Anniversary of WWI

This year, in November, we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of World War I., though, celebrate is not really the word I think of when I think of war. I've been transcribing the obituaries and stories from the newspapers for some time now and I have to say I can only do three or four at a setting because it is so intensly sad. I feel as a parent, a sister and a citizen each of the deaths, even though they are not related to me. I was transcribing some articles from WWII and in one, a young man is missing and he has a brother in the war. I pulled up the next one and started typing. It  was the announcement that his brother had been killed in action. Then I pulled up the next one. They had found the first young man's body and declared him killed in action. This is what their family faced in one week. They were only days apart. I had to take a long break.

I am the Coordinator for the Jackson County and Bartholomew County (Indiana) INGenWebs. As coordinator I work hard to put up data and helpful information for genealogists researching those two counties. I have been working to put up stories and obituaries of our war dead. I want to do more for the anniversary in November of this year for the WWI soldiers. I would love photos for each of the soldiers. That is a tough one. But I am going to give it a try.

Say, since this is the year, perhaps focusing your attention on the WWI soldiers in your file would be a good idea. Flesh them out, write the stories and find the data. That is what I am going to do. I am going to make sure that I have all of the data I can get on my WWI soldiers, on the county sites and in my file. And, gee, maybe you could share that data, just in case someone else has been looking and can not find it. There are many places to do so. Your blog, FB or the GenWeb site for the county your ancestor lived in. There are lots more places I'm sure.

These soldiers should be remembered, honored, and deserve to have their stories told.

#WorldWarI #INGenWeb #JacksonCounty #BartholomewCounty

Ermil R. Trapp - A TwigTale

Ermil R. Trapp
Born: August 28, 1923
Died: September 15, 1944 France
Buried: Marion Cemetery, Jackson County, Indiana
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ACTIVITY DURING WWII
Ermil served in General Patton's 735th Tank Battalion in a light tank. He was killed in the Battle of Metz, France in September 1944.

Ermil Trapp Dies in Action September 15
Local Soldier Was Serving With Tank Group in France - Widow Gets Word

Technician Fifth Grade Ermil R. Trapp, age 21, was killed in action September 15, according to a telegram received late Sunday afternoon by his wife, Mrs. Joyce L. Trapp, 620 Euclid Avenue.

"The Secretary of War desires me to express his deep regret that your husband, Technician Fifth Grade Ermil R. Trapp, was killed in action on September 15th in France. Letter follows," read the telegram, signed by J.A. Ulio, adjutant general.

Sgt. Trapp entered the service on January 8, 1943, receiving his training at Fort Lewis, Wash., as a member of a tank battalion. He had served overseas since February 1 of this year. Mrs. Trapp's last letter from her husband was dated September 6.

Lived at Chestnut Ridge.

Born in Jennings county, T.5 Trapp was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Trapp, of Chestnut Ridge, six miles south of this city. He spent most of his life in the Chestnut Ridge community, attending school there. He was employed throughout the county on various farms and also worked at Camp Atterbury before entering the armed forces.

T.5 Trapp was widely known both in this city and throughout the county and a host of friends join with relatives in mourning his death.

Survivors include the widow, the former Miss Joyce Jaynes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Jaynes, with who she makes her home; a fourteen-months-old daughter, Judy Kay Trapp; the parents; five sisters, Mrs. Fern Russell, of Beanblossom, and Marjorie, Carol, Vivian and Phyllis Trapp, all of Chestnut Ridge; and three brothers, all of whom are in service. Ernest Trapp and Murrel Trapp, both serving overseas in England or France, and Donald Trapp, serving on a Navy destroyer in the South Seas.
~frontpage: Seymour Daily Tribune, Seymour, Indiana


Brick at the Veteran's Memorial - Seymour, Indiana

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Grave photo: owned and taken by Tina Brock Smith
Photo: in possession of Former Judy Kay Trapp
Obit: original in my possession
Brick Photo: owned and taken by Sheri Bush
for: Veteran's Day Post 2008

I have 2 step-nephews and 1 full nephew serving right now. One already had several tours in the US Navy and is stateside now. Two will soon be going.