This is a limited time as Ancestry is giving free access to their military records till 3rd Sept 2019 but it made me think about our own histories.
My own grandfather was part of the order of the tin hats. And my great grandfather was one of the men that helped evacuate the ANZAC's from Gallipoli. My mother is the historian in my family and often told us different stories about my family members. It helped me to understand things they did. PTSD is insidious but it can let us see someone with compassion when we realise their story.
A survey earlier this year showed that people in America are forgetting the Holocaust. I don't have Jewish ancestry but I can see the importance of never forgetting the signs of a cold and systematic murder of a group of people.
The easiest way to start your own family history is to ask your own family. Try interviewing them about what they know.
If you come from Maori heritage there are even some standards around discovering your family history.
I love fiction so I usually paint stories around what I was told. Some from my grandfather's stories and others from interviews that I listen to online. Photos are a great way to get a feel for what it was like back then. My grandfather is in the picture below.
This is Perla an opera singer who cheered on sailors before they headed off to war.
Try writing stories about your own ancestors who might have done some amazing things in their past.
Or research what was happening around them.
Or using your interview questions and answers write a feature article about one of your ancestors.