In an effort to reduce duplication, all volunteers will be sent the name(s) of a veteran by Ryevets.org along with login credentials for Ancestry.com. Please address any questions to [email protected]
Please follow below instructions and videos on how to create a simple biography for our veterans.
WRITE A VETERANS BIOGRAPHY (Tip Follow videos to expedite) Note
videos have no sound.
List of all Sources to be used include - Census Records, High School Yearbooks, the Rye Chronicle(1900-1980), Obituaries. You may include any current information on veterans page to assist you. Please have a blank Microsoft word document open to gather and organize your information.
Step 1 - Open RyeVets.org and go to the veterans page you were assigned.
Step 2- In another tab open and LOGIN TO ANCESTRY.COM with login credentials sent to you. (Must be logged in for links on veterans page to work.)
Step 3 - From the veterans page you were assigned click on link that says “1940 Census”. It brings you right to that individual’s record.
Click here for How To Search Census Video: (This record has basic info, Father and Mother’s Name, Siblings, Fathers occupation, income, etc.) Use this info to create short narrative, see example below in Blue italics.
Step 4 – Rye High School Yearbooks in Ancestry.com ( Tip if the veteran has a picture, his graduation year is already in the short bio next the picture. ex. Rye High School Graduate, Class of 1937 )
Click here for How To Search Yearbook Video: Note all high school interests ( Baseball, Golf, Finger Print Club, etc.) and add to biography, see example below in Orange italics.
Click here to Search Yearbooks Use setting as shown in video(State, City, School, Year)
Step 5 – Search Fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html to search old Rye Chronicle Articles.
How To Search Rye Chronicle Articles Video: Go to the veterans page you were assigned. Under the tab, "Search Newspapers", there is a link to Fulton site, link brings you to a search box where you would copy and paste example ("Frank J. Russo" Rye NY Chronicle)
Tip Search results differ when including middle initial, in this case you would search Frank J Russo and Frank Russo
A list of articles will appear as search results, by the year published. Click on link to article, veterans name is highlighted on page, copy and write notes of interest. It helps to keep Article information organized. Organize all in Chronological Order for your Biography. Pre 1941 or pre high school, War Years 1941-1945, Post War 1946 +
Example: Played Donkey basketball at the YMCA. See below Orange italics.
Use Rye Chronicle articles to gather pertinent life information. Copy and Paste information into your word document.
Step 6 – Got to veterans page. Click on the Tabs "Biography" and/or "Extended Info" here you will find more veteran information including obituary (if found) and maybe other items of interest to be incorporated into the final biography. See below Green italics.
Incorporate this information into what you have already gathered to complete Biography
Completed Bio might look like something below Example
"Frank J. Russo was born on 12/15/1918 and he lived at 118 Maple Avenue in Rye, New York. (Street View) Rye was a small town with a population of 9,865. Frank's mother Grace owned this home and it was valued at $1,600 ($30,400 in today’s dollars). The members of the household included his brother Leonard and his three sisters Antoinette, Mary and Margaret. Frank's mother was born in Italy and Frank and his siblings were all born in New York. In 1940, at the age 21, Frank was a middle child and his mother was 51 and had an elementary education. Frank was a Rye High School Graduate, Class of 1937 and the time the census worker recorded his occupation as a Caddy. All the family were parishioners of The Church of the Resurrection. Frank enlisted and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II
Frank was a Rye High School Graduate, Class of 1937. During his high School years he was active in many sports and clubs including baseball, golf and the Finger Print Club. Growing up in Rye Frank was an active member of the YMCA. He participated in softball, boxing and even in an exhibition basketball game played while the players rode donkey's.
Frank enlisted in October of 1942 and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II." Mr. Russo served as an armorer who worked on P-51 Mustang Fighters. His job was to keep the fighters guns in perfect working order. On July 27, 1947, he married Connie Allevl at the Holy Name of Jesus Church in Valhalla.
Mr. Russo was employed as an executive at Pitney Bowes in Stamford, Conn., and he worked for Pitney Bowes for 40 years, retiring in January 1986. He was president and director of Pitney Bowes' Federal Credit Union. He was also president of the Pitney Bowes Oval Club and a member of the North White Plains Volunteer Firemen's Benevolent Association.
He was a parishioner of Resurrection Church in Rye. Mr. Russo is survived by his wife; three brothers, Anthony, Rocco and Lawrence, all of Rye; three sisters, Dorothy Lamp, Rose and Lucy LaBrusciano, of Rye; a daughter-in-law; and two grandchildren. Mr. Russo was devoted to his family, said his son. "He was not only my father, but my best friend". A brother, Joseph, and a sister, Lee died earlier."
Authors Name
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FINAL STEP
Request for veteran discharge records. On your WWII Veterans page, there is a link to a form SF-180. This form is populated
with the information, gathered over years of research, required to request the
discharge record specific to this veteran. The discharge record would tell us many
things needed to complete the service part of their biographies.
Please click on the link example: SF-180 Request Discharge Record for Frank J. Russo
Please print the SF-180 PDF file of the veteran assigned to you and mail it to below address.
National Personnel Records Center
(Military Personnel Records)
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO
63138-1002
Please copy your completed biographies into a word document and send as an attachment to [email protected] . Please include all those to be cited for their work.
Thank you for your time and effort, we hope you feel a great sense of pride in your achievement!
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