Tangentially, I have geneology gaps due to WW2. My great-grandfathers perished defending unknown cities with the Soviet Army. Afaik one was sent to take out tan

Tangentially, I have geneology gaps due to WW2. My great-grandfathers perished defending unknown cities with the Soviet Army. Afaik one was sent to take out tanks with improvized AT weapons at best, the other I know nothing of. During the Battle for Odesa and the following occupation by the Axis forces many records were lost. My grandmother on my dad's side grew up during the occupation. Thankfully my mom's side evacuated (Jewish) potentially due to my maternal great grandmother having been part of the defense as a field doctor and helped organize evacuation via ships. She received medals for her efforts including Order of the Red Star. She was able to get on the last ship to leave. After the war she counted 28 relatives lost due to war or holocaust. Some decades later her nephew made a booklet about the widely extended family tree despite spotty records at best. I know it took many years of research on his part, I should ask where our copy is. That maybe took a dark turn at some point - but I was thinking primarily about how armed conflict has the potential to erase history.