I Can See All The Story: Discovering Astonishing Details About Grandpa's WWII Service

Have you ever felt like the most important family stories are just out of reach? That's exactly how Lisa Elzey felt after discovering through DNA that her mother's biological father wasn't who they thought. When a small newspaper clipping mentioned her newly-discovered grandfather had been a B-17 crew member during World War II, she knew there had to be more to the story, but where would she find it when the man himself was no longer alive to tell it?

Last week, we heard the emotional story of how Lisa and her mother Nadel discovered through DNA testing that Nadel's biological father was actually Harold Emery Lansbury, a man she'd never known. This week, Lisa returns to share how researching the network of people surrounding her grandfather transformed fragments of information into a rich narrative that brought her mother to tears.

"I could feel the joy they felt because they knew he said in the narrative he said we knew it was a big deal, we knew this was a big invasion. And he said, and I wanted to get in on that, you know, I could feel that like all right, let's go boys, kind of mentality that Memphis Bell, like let's do this kind of thing."

In this extraordinary continuation, Lisa reveals that persistence and an unconventional research approach can sometimes yield more than we ever dreamed possible. Her journey reminds us that sometimes, the most powerful family connections emerge when we look beyond the family tree.

The Whole Story

If you haven’t yet, take a moment to listen to the rest of Lisa and Nidel's powerful story:

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🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:

• How a simple newspaper clipping mentioning her grandfather's military service sparked Lisa's determination to know more
• The surprising discovery that her grandfather flew on D-Day and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross
• Why researching the people who surrounded her grandfather opened doors to stories and photos she never thought she'd find
• The emotional moment when she found not one, but two photos of the crew her grandfather served with
• How firsthand accounts from his fellow airmen painted a vivid picture of her grandfather's experience
• The beautiful moment when sharing these discoveries brought Lisa's mother to tears

The Power of One Story

What strikes me most about Lisa's journey is how she moved from mere facts to rich, emotional stories by looking beyond her direct ancestor. When traditional family history research hit a wall, she expanded her search to include the men who served alongside her grandfather.

As Lisa beautifully described her transformation:

"It's like kind of like think of it, a cruise ship. I had a really small portal room on the cruise ship when I started just looking out, going, yep, there's a little bit of ocean, and I kind of felt like I went to a balcony room Like it, just this whole idea of like I can see all the story, I can see all the ocean here you know, and it was incredible."

These weren't blood relatives. They weren't even in-laws or extended family. They were simply men thrown together by circumstance and war (from Maine to Brooklyn to Arkansas) who shared one of the most intense experiences humans can endure. Yet researching them ultimately revealed more about her grandfather than any traditional genealogical record could have.

Lisa's story reminds us that our ancestors didn't live in isolation. Their lives were shaped by the people around them: the communities they built, the colleagues they worked with, the friends who stood beside them in difficult times. By researching these networks of connection, we can often discover the stories that official records never captured.

Your Story

Think about the ancestors in your family tree who still feel like strangers to you. Perhaps you've found their birth certificates, located them in census records, and even discovered where they're buried, but you still don't feel like you know them. Who were the people surrounding them in life? Who were their friends, their colleagues, their neighbors? The answers to these questions might just hold the key to understanding who your ancestors truly were.

Story Seeds 🌱

Plant these conversation starters and watch your family stories grow.

1. For Grandparents/Parents: Who were the most important people in your life outside our family? What adventures or challenges did you share with them that you've never told me about?
   
   
2. For Aunts/Uncles: What do you remember about the friends your parents (my grandparents) had? Were there any whose stories particularly stood out to you?
   
   
3. For Military Family Members: What was your closest friendship during your service? How did you support each other through difficult moments?
   
   
4. For Everyone: If you were going to write down one story about a friend who changed your life, what would that story be, and why was it so significant?
   
   

Story Sparks 🔑

Unlock your family's hidden stories with these research techniques.

1. Look for mentions in Newspapers.com of your ancestor. Use some of these search strategies to find any organizations, clubs, military units, churches, or schools they may have belonged to. Then make note of the other people mentioned.
   
   
2. Look for group photos in your family albums and identify every person possible. Use your Ancestry mobile app to scan photos directly into the gallery of your family tree. Then use the new Recognize Ancestor feature on the site to see if Ancestry AI can identify some of the people in the photo.
   
   
3. Create an Ancestry Network for important non-relatives in your ancestor's life. Include military buddies, coworkers, neighbors, friends from church or community organizations: anyone who might have shared experiences with your ancestor that family members didn't.
   
   

Like Lisa discovered, you never know when researching your ancestor's network might lead to an unexpected treasure: a crew photo, a firsthand account of a harrowing experience, or even descendants of your ancestor's friends who may have photos or stories to share.

I was deeply moved by how Lisa's research culminated in that beautiful moment with her mother. As Lisa shared:

"I read the story of the Distinguished Flying Cross mission on the 22nd and she was crying on the phone because I read it over the phone. She's like, read it to me. And my dad was there too and she was crying and she's just like, I'm just so proud. She goes. I didn't know him, I didn't know this person who was my birth father. She goes, but I'm just so proud of his service."

That's the real magic of family history. It's not just about collecting names and dates: it's about creating connections across time that heal, inspire, and bring us closer together.

Ready to discover the stories hiding in your family's networks? Subscribe to Stories That Live In Us wherever you get your podcasts, and don't forget to share this episode with someone who might be inspired by Lisa's journey.

© 2025 Crista Cowan. All rights reserved.