I was clicking around one afternoon and stumbled onto my dad’s WWII draft card. His name. His address. His signature. I was not prepared for that.
He never talked much about his service. He was a lineman in Okinawa and put up communication towers during the war. I always found that ironic, given what I ended up doing for a living. (Broadcasting. In case you missed that.)
But seeing that card? 18, such a baby. Before meeting my mom, working for United Airlines, raising a family and being an amazing father.
That moment is available to you, too.
🔍 Where to find the records
The National Archives is your first stop. It holds official service records, discharge papers and replacement medals. It’s free. You need the veteran’s name, service branch and birth or death dates.
For draft cards, enlistment records and digitized documents, Fold3 is the gold standard (free seven-day trial, then $9.99/month). Massive collection. The search is easy. FamilySearch is 100% free and deeper than most people expect.
🇺🇸 Capture the stories now
Records preserve facts. But the voice? The laugh? The way someone told a story? All that disappears when the person does.
If your veteran is still here, record them.
- StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative preserves those stories for future generations.
- The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress makes it easy to submit interviews, photos and written memoirs. Local VA hospitals and American Legion or VFW posts often run oral history workshops, too.
Memorial Day is about remembering. And sometimes rediscovering a piece of someone you thought you already knew.
🚘 How about one more Dad story?
A different kind. He and my mom were driving to Las Vegas with their friends Roger and his wife, Marlyss. Somewhere on that desert highway, Dad turns to Roger and says, “There’s a radio show I listen to all the time. I think you’d love it.”
Roger asks what it’s about. Dad smiles. “So many things. You’ll learn a lot. And she has a wonderful voice.”
So Dad puts it on. Ten minutes go by. Roger is completely locked in. He’s shushing my mom and his own wife to hear better. (A brave move, Roger.) Then the whole car goes quiet.
“I’m Kim Komando. And we’ll be right back.”
Roger turned to my dad, completely floored. Dad laughed.
A man who strung communication towers in Okinawa at 18. Who never made a big deal out of any of it. Who quietly told his friend, “Trust me, you’ll love this.” That’s my dad. I miss him every day.
🗣️ TEXT/POST THIS STAT: You can request a veteran’s official service records, medals and discharge papers for free from the National Archives. Most families have no idea. GetKim.com
📩 Send this to someone who has a veteran in the family but has never searched for their story.