Records & Resources for the Prisoners, Missing, & Dead
A live webinar on Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. CST.
Behind every World War II service record lies a story of courage, sacrifice, and loss—especially for those who were taken prisoner, went missing, or died in service. Military records, specifically the Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF), hold the keys to uncovering these powerful stories, revealing the truth of what happened and honoring the men and women who paid the ultimate price.
In this program, you’ll learn how to locate, interpret, and piece together POW, MIA, and death records to reconstruct the full story of a veteran’s experience—from capture to liberation, or from loss to legacy. Let the records guide you as you give voice to the silent heroes of your family’s past.
In this program you’ll learn:
- What records were created by the American Grave Registration Service for World War I & World War II. How to access those records and tell your veteran's story.
- We will explore online resources for locating information.
- We will identify Prisoner of War records and where to locate them.
- I'll share a case study on James Privoznik who was Killed in Action 11 January 1945. Through our research, writing, and travel journey, I'll tell you his story and how I found information when most would say it is impossible.
- Students also receive a program workbook and several IDPFs to download and examine. These IDPFs contain a lot of interesting information.
- Replay available.
Access to the program workbook, files, and replay is six months.
I'm Jennifer Holik
More than 10 years ago, I developed a 2-part military research strategy that makes it possible to discover the story of any veteran from WWI through Vietnam — even if the records burned. This grew out of a journey I began nearly 30 years ago, guided by my military ancestors. What started as genealogy quickly expanded into a full military research, writing, and speaking business shared through the WWII Research & Writing Center.
My work is rooted in both fact and spirit. I’ve walked battlefields, stood at graves, and listened to the echoes of soldiers and families whose stories still long to be told. Living between Chicago and the Netherlands, I absorbed history, culture, and the weight of inherited war trauma. My own path through PTSD and ancestral healing deepened my ability to see repeating patterns, connect dots across generations, and help others uncover truths hidden beneath silence and loss.
At the Ancestral Souls Wisdom School and WWII Research & Writing Center, I bring together research and soul work, helping you not only recover your family’s military history but also transform the patterns and pain it left behind. This is where history, healing, and story meet.
