This map shows the places in which my maternal grandfather Michael John Flanagan (1927 – 1997) served while in the U.S. Navy. He enlisted at age 17 years as an Apprentice Seaman in Buffalo, New York, served in the Pacific Theater at the end of World War II and the immediate post-war years, and separated as a Ship’s Cook 3rd Class in San Diego, California. These dates, places, and details have been identified through archival sources: Flanagan’s Official Military Personnel File, Navy muster rolls, and Navy deck logs. I have more years of Navy deck logs to continue researching.
This project was built using the free Google My Maps platform, which I teach for my work as the Digital Scholarship Librarian at a university. You can view the embedded map below or with this direct link in a browser. Follow my blog for articles about his service and sources and strategies for researching U.S. Navy veterans.