Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Breaking up is hard to do

More than two years ago, I began to think I could let go of the 101st Cavalry. Updating the"old-fashioned" website became more difficult as technology evolved, leaving my old programs behind. And I didn't think I had much more to write on the blog. Breaking off that relationship wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

The website stayed live--although not updated--so the children, grandchildren, siblings, and spouses of veterans found it and sent emails to me. They sent me names, photos and stories to add to the website.

And after two years, a few emails were a little testy: "I sent you my father's name a year ago. Why hasn't it been added." I don't blame them.

Updating the old website would be tough. Rebuilding it turned out to be easier. In the process, I changed the website's name and address. The new website is www.trackingthe101st.com, and I have been adding dozens of names and photos, some of which, I'm ashamed to say, were sent to me in 2010. The good news is that keeping the new site updated will take seconds instead of hours.

My hope is to update thisblog twice each month, pulling stories and photos from my files, and update the website as needed. To those of you who have been waiting, I apologize. I knew I wasn't alone in trying to learn about my father, but I hadn't realized how many of us there were.