Founded in 1991 by Ann Bennett Mix, and headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA (just outside Washington, D.C.), The AWON, American WWII Orphans Network, is an organization entirely comprised of the sons and daughters and other family of Americans left with a void after World War II.
Welcome to the AWON Website! -- Whether you're a war orphan, a family member of a fallen soldier or sailor, a friend, or simply someone who feels as we do . . . that those who died for our freedoms must always be remembered . . . we're so glad you're here.

Any son or daughter of a soldier, seaman or airman killed, missing or who died while on active duty during WWII or as result of wounds, is eligible to join the Orphan Member category. Other relatives, including brother, sister, wife, nephew, niece, grandson, or granddaughter are welcomed as Family Members. Friends of those killed, or others who wish to join and participate in AWON meetings and activities and receive our Newsletter are welcomed as Associate Members. An Organization Membership is available for any group with an interest in our activities and purposes or in service to country during WWII.

Click the "Our Fathers" button on the Main Menu to see photographs and stories of some of the men mentioned above. And Click "Memorabilia" on the Main Menu for a tour through some of the more significant artifacts of World War II.

Or join us. Because if you are an orphan of an American who was either KIA or MIA in WWII, or if you are in any of the categories above, we have finally found each other.

Whatever the reason for your being here, we welcome you.

I went through life not knowing I was a "war orphan." I had heard that term but I thought it referred to children who had lost both parents, probably in Europe during the war. But the fact is that an orphan is anyone who has lost one or both parents and a "war" orphan is universally used by governments as a term for children who lose a parent in war.

I learned I was an American "war orphan" about the time I first began to want to find others like myself whose fathers had died in WWII. At that time, I had no idea who they were, where they were or how many there were. When I turned to government agencies for help I discovered that they did not know either! It was obvious there was a long struggle ahead, but I was determined we come together and talk about our lives and what happened! As I started finding people and as we did talk I was angered and saddened to learn how few people had ever talked with another war orphan, or had been allowed to talk about their fathers. I learned most of us had spent our lives feeling isolated and knew little about our fathers service or how they died. Some had never even seen a photo of their Dad!

By checking veterans administrations statistics on benefits paid to war orphans I learned there had to be at least 183,000 children who were left fatherless as the result of WWII! I knew with greater surety that we needed to find each other, form a network all our own, and find out how to locate information about our fathers!

Since that time in 1991 the American WWII Orphans Network was formed, became a non-profit organization, and has achieved national recognition by military, government and veterans groups. We have located over 1,000 sons and daughters of men who were killed and many other family members. We have brought people together across the nation, from Washington, DC to Seattle, Washington and have formed a computer network of very active sharing individuals from all over the U.S.

The difference most of us have felt has been profound. Our ability to get responses to questions from our government, to receive records, medals and benefits has increased ten fold. Our knowledge of how to contact war buddies, find family members and friends has increased. We are sharing what we know with each other through the network, both online and offline, in the STAR: the official AWON Newsletter, and in a book of Resources called "Touchstones."

In this coming together of AWON, our lives have been transformed.

-- Ann Bennett Mix, Founder --