From the Families
The families who come to Fortitude Research are looking for someone:
A father who survived the war and never spoke of it.
A grandfather whose records went up in flames
in the 1973 fire, and the facts remain unknown.
A great-uncle who never came back, whose medals were kept
in a drawer, whose name was spoken carefully, if at all.
These are their words.
PFC George Jahosky
Co A, 242 Infantry Regiment
42nd “Rainbow” Division
I found Erin during a desperate internet search to learn where my grandfather, George Charles Jahosky (who we grandkids called Chuck) was during his World War II service; as a Humanities professor with a background in classics and the ancient near east, I’ve only ever been self-taught when it comes to WWII, and I had encountered a lot of dead ends when trying to find answers. Erin was an answered prayer—I wrote to her and heard back almost immediately. Kind, intelligent, funny, and above all, professional, Erin set to work immediately to find information our family did not have since his death on Veteran’s Day 1994. By some happy chance, Erin was already on her way to the National Archives to do research for other projects when I contacted her, so I truly believe we met providentially. I will forever be grateful to the service she has provided the Jahosky family.
— Michael, grandson of PFC Jahosky
PFC Natale Cusinato
Co K, 132nd Infantry Regiment
Americal Division
My dad enlisted in April 1941 and served in the Army until June of 1945. He spent most of those four years fighting in the jungles of the South Pacific. He was wounded twice and received a Bronze Star for Valor.
Little of his experience was shared with his family upon his return, and even less with me, his son. He would only point to a map and say he had been there, and there, and there. He never explained how he survived the bullet that entered his helmet liner at the front edge and exited at the middle of the back. We never knew why he slept with one leg uncovered.
Dad died in 1967 at age 50. I was 20.
Other than what I saw in Hollywood movies, I never understood what shaped my dad into the person I knew. Through Erin's efforts, I now have a stronger tie to him, and a better understanding of why he didn't want to share his nightmares with his son.
— Angelo, son of PFC Cusinato
SGT Vernon Breen
Headquarters 3rd Battalion
222nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd ‘Rainbow’ Division
Following my father's path through Europe was only possible because of Erin Faith Allen. Her knowledge of the 42nd Division made this far more than a tour, she brings history to life with accuracy, care, and deep respect for those who served. Her ability to research and interpret military records provided context I could not have uncovered on my own. What makes her truly exceptional are the relationships she has built with historians, archivists, and local experts across the US and Europe. Doors opened that would otherwise have stayed closed. I cannot recommend her highly enough.
— Tom, son of SGT Breen
T5 Norman R Tite Jr
Co G, 9400th Technical Service Unit (TSU)
Signal Corps, Alaskan Defense Command
My father, like most WWII Veterans, spoke very little of his service during the war and his 26 months in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. He left behind a scrapbook of papers, and the cherished items inside were the small photos of him and the barren surroundings.
Erin uncovered other photos and reports of Shemya that helped paint the bigger picture of my father’s experience. I printed off the beautiful report and sat on the back porch reading it, crying some tears, not sad, just overwhelming ones.
Erin did a beautiful job of creating something from nothing, taking small nuggets and putting all the other pieces in there. Her detective work and her love and knowledge of military history gave my family some answers about his service in The Forgotten War, the Aleutian Islands Campaign.
— Verna, daughter of T5 Tite
CPT William 'Art' Reynolds
711th Bomber Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group
“Mighty Eighth”, 8th Air Force
I knew there was more out there, and Erin found it. The report she provided wrapped everything into a single, beautiful document I was able to share with my entire family. There were tears and thank-yous for days. But Erin gave us more than a report. She gave my family a chance to know our WWII hero, to live in his shoes for a moment, and finally understand what he truly accomplished in the final minutes of his life. It was a gift.
— Karen, great-niece of CPT Reynolds
PFC William Kane
Co C, 717th Tank Battalion
Growing up, all I knew was that my uncle had been assigned to a tank command in WWII and died from injuries when his tank exploded. Erin continued to research his story, which involved two other men, and arranged for all three families to meet at the cemetery where my uncle is buried. She had even tracked down his original Silver Star, awarded in 1945, which was still with his widow's family. They came together and surprised me by presenting me with his medal at his grave.
I will be forever grateful.
— Danny, nephew of PFC Kane
RdM3c Gilbert E. Mitchell
Survivor of the USS Franklin
Erin unearthed photographs of my grandfather, my great-uncle, my father, and my dad's best friend who perished on the USS Franklin. She found letters my grandmother wrote that had never been seen. Piece by piece, she gave me back a tapestry of family stories that had been shrouded in silence because of the trauma they endured. With each discovery I found answers to questions I had carried for years. She truly has a gift for bringing the past to life.
— Amy, daughter of RdM3c Mitchell
SSG Thomas S. Cottone
424th Bomb Squadron, 307th Bombardment Group
13th Air Force
My father never spoke about his experiences. When he died I tried to research his story but reached a dead end, the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center had destroyed his records. Then I met Erin Faith Allen. Through her perseverance she located his service records and the families of other members of his flight crew. At last I knew what happened to that nineteen-year-old boy who fought for his country. My sisters and I have a sense of peace and pride we never had before. It is part of our story now and will never be forgotten.
— Cynthia, daughter of SSG Cottone
1SG Robert Milodragovich
Anti-Tank Co, 222nd Infantry Regiment
42nd ‘Rainbow’ Division
Reconnecting to my father's WWII service has been a powerful journey. Erin's detailed, honoring connection to his unit's history, and her persistence in pursuing the questions he never answered, has been profound. Her research connected me with a veteran who knew my father personally. The surviving veteran of his company recounted his living memories and allowed me to reach my father again across time. What a gift.
— Stana, daughter of 1SG Milodragovich
PFC Rodolfo Calderon
Co C, 109th Engineer Battalion
34th Infantry Division
When Erin was editing my memoir she immediately wanted to know more about my uncle's twenty-seven months of imprisonment by the Nazis. Through her research and connections with fellow historians, she uncovered his unit, the battle in which he was captured, and accounts of his time in the POW camp from other prisoners who were there. Her passion and her vast knowledge are undeniably the qualities that define her as a brilliant historian.
— Thelma, niece of PFC Calderon
PFC Paul Dean Burnum
Anti-Tank Co, 222nd Infantry Regiment
42nd ‘Rainbow’ Division
When Erin called to tell me she was researching my brother's company, I thought: finally, my brother is going to receive some well-deserved recognition. I learned more from Erin's persistent work than I ever did from my brother himself. The photographs our family had never seen, the information that has continued to surface; I only wish more people could have the experience of learning about the whole company of men their brother served with. They all seem very much like my brother: real heroes.
— Lynn, brother of PFC Burnum
1LT Jack E. Westbrook
Anti-Tank Co, 222nd Infantry Regiment
42nd ‘Rainbow’ Division
Erin led me through the process of editing and producing a book about my father's experiences in WWII with a keen eye for detail and an astute understanding of what I had hoped for. She has vast knowledge of the war and the resources to ensure accuracy. My book is selling well, but most important, it is a badge of honor for my father, thanks to Erin.
— Celia, daughter of 1LT Westbrook
PFC James Hickey
Anti-Tank Co, 222nd Infantry Regiment
42nd ‘Rainbow’ Division
Erin's work has given my family such pride in what my father accomplished with his company during the war. We know more than we ever thought possible about his day to day experiences in combat in Europe. It has been a heartwarming experience to work with her regarding his memory.
— Kathy, daughter of PFC Hickey