Many families have taken on the task of tracing their family tree and permanently documenting their family history so that their children and grandchildren will be able to look back at it someday and know where they came from. Military service records are an important part of developing a family history. The good news is that Air Force records are easily found online. From Vietnam to Korea to World War II to World War I, there is an abundant amount of information available on veterans of the Air Force. Finding these military service records may fill in that one hole in your family’s story. There are many websites that offer copies of Air Force records and Air Force rings, both items that can serve as permanent reminders to your descendents of the sacrifice and service that your ancestors gave for their country.

Air Force records can be of great interest to museums and, in particular, to historians. Historians often work with museums to develop interactive learning exhibits that students can view. These exhibits can be in the museum itself, or they can be traveling exhibits that move around. Whichever type of exhibit they are, they often include original Air Force records, vehicles, uniforms, and other artifacts.

A big help to military reunion organizers is the ability to locate Air Force records online. An opportunity to reconnect with some of their old military buddies occasionally is something that many veterans look forward to and enjoy immensely. For this reason, these party planners tend to spend a lot of their time on the internet locating these servicemen and sending them invitations.

Planning a reunion is never easy. Factors that may make it difficult include the long period of time that may have lapsed since they had been discharged from military service. Many veterans do not settle down in the same place that their buddies do. Some move very far away and do not keep in touch. Finding a valid and current address or phone number for each of them may be quite hard.

The availability of Air Force records online has made it very easy to locate these veterans. The information that can be found on the internet is used to let them know about the upcoming reunion and may be the sole reason that a military reunion is successful in reconnecting old war buddies.

Air Force records that can be found online may also include information about what kind of benefits are available. Veterans and their families will be able to determine their eligibility for housing loans, burial benefits, and education incentives.

A potential employee’s military background can now be easily verified by doing a simple search online. Employers can search Air Force records on the internet to determine the truthfulness of the applicants statements.

Some samples of Heraldic terminology and their meanings are as follows.

The surname is of occupational origin.

What does this statement imply?

This means that it is a part of that category of surnames that were derived from a position that was held or the occupation that was pursued by the original bearer of the name.

Here is an example;
One old English name – Burgess – is a surname of occupational origin. A burgess was a person that had accumulated a lot of land and was not required to give service to the King of England. Another source of the Burgess name is in Ireland. A notable person who bore this name was Cathal Brugha (1874-1922). He was a courageous Republican leader, who was killed in the Civil War of 1922. He was a person who came from an old Dublin Family whose name was Burgess.

The surname is of occupative origin.

What is the explanation of this statement?

The name originally came from the occupation of some of the common trades of Medieval Europe. It gives us a glimpse as to what the daily lives of some of our ancestors were like.
An example is;

Stelmack is a name that orginally came from the old Germanic name “Stellmacher”. This name is from Poland and is of occupative origin. If you translate this name into English, it means carriage maker. Stelmach was a name that was first introduced during the emigration from Europe to the United States in the nineteenth century. Kirilo Stelmach was a name that was recorded in North America in 1897.

The name is of habitation origin.

What is the explanation of this statement?

The name was from the place or home of the original bearer of the name.

The following is an example;

“Krysztaki” was an old name from Poland that was classified as a name of habitational origin. Anyone who may have had this name could have had a sign or engraving that was placed above the door where they lived A geographical feature would have indicated where the residence was on this sign. Mikolaj Frystacki was a variant of the name of Krysztaki and was cited in the Sandomiera region in or around the year 1436.

A person name Waclow Frystacki entered the United States in 1907 through the port of Ellis Island in New York. Another person to mention with this name is Professor Krysataf Frystacki, who is the head of the Sociology Department of Jagiellonian University in Krakow.

Even though the Heraldic terminology was written in an old fashioned way, I hope that you will find some of it to be very simple. Parts of it were translated from Latin and the language it was written in at the that time was Norman French.

To show and display your earliest “Coat of Arms” can be done in many ways. But, here are some of the world’s favourite ways;

The Family Crest Ring will be engraved with your earliest crest or shield. Included is your name.

The Family Seal Ring is reversed engraved. This will allow you to make the Family Seal in wax on letters and valuable documents.

The Family Crest Banner comes embroidered with your earliest “Coat of Arms”, which also shows your crest and the markings on your shield.

The Family Crest Plaque has your earliest “Coat of Arms” that is either embroidered or painted on it. They come in a single or double format and will make for a unique and beautiful display that can be put in your home or office.

The Family Crest Pendant is very often a gift for a family member or loved one. These can be bought from Societygifts. They come in Gold or Silver and are engraved with your family’s earliest recorded “Coat of Arms”.

Methods for Displaying Collectibles
Even though some people are happy storing their collectibles in boxes, most people want to be able to look at them every day. The problem is that the home can be a very difficult place to display collectibles. Finding a way to display them attractively in one area is challenging.

A dresser, desk, or side table may seem like a good place to display your small collectible items. However, too many can make a flat surface seem very cluttered. A set of shelves or a glass case are the best options for displaying small items. One example of a glass case is a curio cabinet. A curio cabinet is an attractive way to display your collectibles while still protecting them from damage, dirt, and dust. If you collect specialty items like thimbles, baseballs, matches, marbles, or flags, you may need to purchase a special display medium for them. If your home is large enough, you might be able to set a room aside for your collection.

A way to enjoy a really large collection, if you don’t have room to display it all, is to rotate the items periodically.

Collecting Don’ts
Remember to keep your priorities straight. Never buy a new item for your collection before you pay your mortgage or other bills.

Is your collection interfering with your daily life? Are you unable to stop buying new items for your collection? If so, then you are becoming obsessed and you need to consider seeking some help.
Never neglect your family to take care of your collection. Keep your priorities straight and always put your family first.

Collecting Do’s
Some collectors enjoy the challenge of collecting every item in a set. For most, however, this is not a reasonable goal, mainly because it can get quite expensive. For those people, it may be a good idea to only try to collect a certain part of that set.

Just because you like to collect does not mean that others will also. For this reason, do not invest money in collections for other people and expect them to continue it.

Putting out your seasonal collections early will allow you to enjoy them just a little longer each year.
Never buy an item you do not like. It might seem like a good investment, but in the long run you may regret the purchase. If you do not like the item in question and the item loses value, you have two problems that you do not want.

Old and young alike enjoy the challenge that collecting can present. Collecting, displaying and enjoying your prizes can be great fun. This hobby is very rewarding when done responsibly.

You need to take regular postal addresses for anyone that you need to write to while you are away at basic training. Be sure to include enough stamps and envelopes to last you for nine weeks.

Be sure to buy nine weeks worth of pre-paid phone cards. They would probably be more expensive on-base, so buying them ahead of time will save you money.

Do not pack up all of your clothes to take with you. While you are at basic training, you will not use it anyway and you will no doubt lose a lot of weight while you are there, so your clothes won’t fit when you get out anyway. Taking one bag with one or two outfits will be sufficient, along with any personal necessities that you might need.

If you are on medication, you should take the original prescription bottles with you when you go to the base. The bottles should have your name on them. You should obtain documentation from your doctor so that you can take it to the base with you.

You will need enough soap, shampoo, razors and deodorant to take with you that will last at least a couple of weeks. You should pack these personal items so that you won’t have a problem passing through airport security.

You might want to arrange for a friend or family member to help you with paying your bills while you are away. If this is not possible, then you might want to look into automatic bill pay. If you cancel your cable or satellite television and newspaper subscriptions, you will save money, along with closing out any accounts that you will not use while you are at basic training.

Giving a two-week notice to your current employer will help you to leave on good terms This will be helpful, especially if you need a good reference from them later in life.

When you go to the army base, be sure to take a copy of your recruiting contract. This is something that you should remember throughout your military career.

Ask some of the other men who have been through the basic training for survival advice.
On your last night at home, don’t go out and party. You should be well-rested and ready for work when you arrive at basic training. (You will not get much rest for a few weeks.)

Finally, and most importantly, be sure to spend some quality time with your family before you leave.

Your recruiter will probably leave you with a checklist to follow. You need to read all of the material that they will give you and be sure to follow important instructions thoroughly. When you arrive at basic training, there won’t be an opportunity to remember anything that you might have forgotten. Don’t be left without the necessities you will need to get through the next nine weeks.

About the Author:

Diane Hamments is a freelance author who writes on various subjects including Military Gifts,Collectables and Army Recruits.