Group Offers Information For Orphans

Of the many veterans organizations, AWON - American WWII Orphans Network - is a different sort of parallel group. It was founded in 1991 by Ann Bennett Mix who became fatherless when her dad, Sydney Bennett, was killed in Italy in 1945.

AWON wants to bring together those whose fathers were killed in WWII, who are still missing, or who died of war-related injuries.

The group also wants to foster communication between WWII orphans and help them find sources of information about their fathers.

In 1996 Mix wrote “Touchstones: A Guide to Records, Rights and Resources for Families of American World War II Casualties.” It’s been the guiding star for children searching for records of their fathers.

More than a million fathers served in World War II. The deaths of more than 406,000 men left an estimated 183,000 American children fatherless. If you are one of these orphans, you might consider joining this support group. Ask for a free copy of The Star, its newsletter.

AWON can be reached by mail at 910 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401; (540) 310-0750; www.awon.org; e-mail AWON@aol.com.

“Touchstones: A Guide to Records …,” published by Heritage Quest, costs $19.95 and may be ordered from the AWON Bookstore, 7208 S. Manker St., Indianapolis IN 46227, or by calling (317) 889-5738.

Did you know that our nation’s newest national cemetery lies in the shadow of Washington State’s Mount Rainier? The 160-acre Tahoma National Cemetery was dedicated in September 1997 to serve the needs of veterans in the Puget Sound area.

It’s part of the National Cemetery System established in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed into law legislation authorizing a fitting burial place “for the soldiers who shall die in the service of the country.”

Following the Civil War, search-and-recovery teams visited hundreds of battlefields, churchyards, plantations and other locations where hasty wartime burials had been made. By 1870 the remains of nearly 300,000 Civil War dead were reinterred in 73 national cemeteries. With the opening of Tahoma National Cemetery, there are now 131 national cemeteries that are administered by a variety of federal and state agencies.

Burial in a national cemetery is based on military service. Requests for internment in national cemeteries should be directed to staff members at the cemetery where burial is sought. A list of cemeteries can be found in a pamphlet from the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery System, Washington, DC 20420. Request pamphlet VA-NCS-IS-1, October 1997.

Those eligible for burial in a national cemetery include any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who dies on active duty or was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. There is no charge for burial in a national cemetery, but many cemeteries no longer have space for full-casket burials. When that occurs, cremated remains are accepted. The gravestone or marker will also be provided by the government.

Contact the Tahoma National Cemetery at 18600 S.E. 240th, Kent, WA 98042, or telephone (425) 413-9614 to request a flyer detailing the cemetery’s procedures, policies and gravesite assignments.

Correction: The Federal Censuses are made available to the public every 72 years. An editor’s error gave the wrong time frame in a recent column.

The Eastern Washington Genealogy Society meets the first Saturday most every month. Saturday’s meeting at 1 p.m. will be at the Salvation Army. There will be no beginner’s class.