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Presenter: Renee Steinig

In February 2015, a metal-detecting enthusiast wrote to the Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island seeking help. Exploring in an Arizona desert, formerly the site of a World War II training camp, he had found a silver ID bracelet, inscribed "With Love From Bella to Joe, 2-3-43, J. Seltzer #32647281." He hoped to return it to the fallen soldier's family. This presentation will illustrate the path JGSLI volunteers followed to learn more about Pfc. Joseph G. Seltzer of Brooklyn and his girlfriend Bella, and to identify Joe's parents and their descendants. Censuses, military records, newspapers, the Social Security Death Index, PeopleFinders, Geni and ultimately Facebook were among the sources that led to a poignant conclusion, 70 years after the young soldier's death. Additionally, a visit to Joe Seltzer's grave brought insights into military burial policies after the war.