As you explore the advanced search, you will notice some variation in what you enter into different search fields. Sometimes you type text directly into a field while other times you choose a value from a list or a calendar. These fields are using different data types.
One piece of information might behave differently from another. We can sort dates based on chronology, e.g., June 15, 1945, comes after December 9, 1943. Names can be sorted alphabetically, e.g., “Abigail” comes before “Andrew.” That can help us find a particular name in a phonebook, for example.
The data type helps us understand key characteristics of a piece of information. In turn, that helps us find what we are looking for when we search.
What is it? You can search for Veterans based on the dates of major life events. Using an interactive calendar widget, enter in the start (“From”) and end (“To”) dates of the date range.
Which VLM fields use it?
Hint: You can leave either the “From” or “To” date field empty. This is useful if you want to search before or after but not between. For example, if you want to find a Veteran who died after World War II, you could enter a post-1945 date in the “From” field and leave the “To” field empty.
What is it? This data format lets you choose from a handful of predefined options. For example, for the “Service Branch” field you could select “US Army,” “US Coast Guard,” or “US Marine Corps” among other options.
Which VLM fields use it?
Hint: In order to look for just World War II Veterans, be sure to use the “War Period” filter in your search.
What is it? For the names of people and cemeteries, you will type your search term directly into the text box. These open text fields give you more freedom when searching but also introduce possible human error.
Which VLM fields use it?
Hint: The cemetery name on the NCA website might not match the name in the VLM database. If you initially have no results, try shortening the cemetery name. Instead of “Fort McClellan EPW Cemetery” (on the NCA site), try “Fort McClellan” or even just “McClellan.”
Of the different field formats above, free text fields are the most challenging. Typos can ruin results. You won’t know before you search if your term is in the database. The specific rules around text can vary widely in different search engines. If you don’t get the results you expect, try testing different search terms. Compare what is or isn’t included in the results. This process should help you figure out what the rules are.
What is a substring? A substring is a part of a word. For example, “oris” and “dori” are both substrings of “doris.” If you search the “First Name” field for either of these substrings, your results will be different: “oris” will not return anybody named Doris but “dori” will.
Headstone of Second Lieutenant Richard Ralph Abmyer (1919–1943). Grandview Cemetery, Sebring, Ohio, USA. (Find a Grave)
Searching names with substrings: The first, middle, and last name searches will return results for substrings if the substring is at the beginning of the word.
Different fields, different rules: The “Cemetery” field behaves differently. The substring can be anywhere in the word and generate matches. For example, searching for “ity” will return cemeteries with the word “city” in their title.
Sgt. Virginia C. Anthony, a typewriter mechanic in the 12th Air Force in Italy, May 1944. Anthony later married fellow Service member Kenneth Schumacher. They are buried together at Arlington National Cemetery. (National Archives)
Most fields are optional. However, the VLM search does require you to enter a value for “Last Name.” You may not have a specific last name in mind at this stage, which is fine. Try entering a single letter into the search field. Your results will include all people whose last name starts with that letter (see the above discussion of substrings to understand why). If you are not happy with your initial results, try a different letter.
Please base your answer on the above description of how the VLM search handles substrings in the name fields.