Share the Hidden History in your Family Stories

I’m deep in the middle of compiling our family stories. It’s struck me how much hidden history there is in these simple tales. Things we never learned about in school. Aspects of history that never drew the limelight. Telling details or images that add depth or perspective to a larger historical picture.

My dad’s memories of India during World War II are one great example. Today, few folks realize that India played a role in that great conflict; the China-Burma-India region has been called the “forgotten theater.” Yet tucked away in my dad’s photo album were incredible images from this hidden bit of history.

Here’s a taste of the vivid images that tell their own amazing story:

*A bread-baking detail to provide food for troops on the Burma Road. Here, the crew loads a field oven with dough.*

*Army bakery headquarters in Assam, India – a thatched, grass-sided hut.*

*A woman in the bazaar in Jorhat, India, 1945.*

Turns out there’s an entire website that collects personal histories and family photos from the China-Burma-India theater: www.cbi-theater.com. It’s a passion-project created by Carl Weidenburner, whose own father served there during World War II. (And yes, I shared a more photos from my dad – you can see them here: https://cbi-theater.com/William_Dale/Dale.html). What a wonderful way to preserve this elusive history, which would otherwise be lost!

Moral of the story: As you work on your memoir, keep an eye out for pieces of “hidden history” that deserve a wider audience. Perhaps some special-interest group would welcome a copy. Veterans organizations like Carl’s may welcome service memories. Or a local historical society might be thrilled to add memories and images of a particular place to their collection.

Hope you’ll keep “hidden history” from your family’s stories alive – and look for ways you can share it!