story by Ann Cameron Siegal, video by Sara Dingmann
As ramifications of COVID-19 shutdowns threaten my usual long list of blessings this Thanksgiving, one real smile-maker still warms my heart.
In May, dozens of Alexandrians came together online via Nextdoor.com to help me solve a decades-old mystery in less than 24 hours.
In 1986, after my mother’s passing, my husband and I found a World War II uniform hanging on a peg in the attic of her Green Street home. The uniform had no ID, but its dozen colorful military ribbons and six overseas service bars suggested some very impressive service. Mom was a WWII Army nurse, so we assumed it belonged to a relative or friend.
In a nearby trunk, her own carefully preserved Army uniform, hats and unlabeled black and white photos from her service days spoke to a life I knew little about. Vowing to do more research later, we tucked the mystery uniform into mom’s trunk for storage.
Well-intentioned promises took a back seat, though, as children and life’s twists vied for our immediate attention. The trunk sat forgotten until this spring, when shutdowns prompted us and many others to use our free time for purging long-stored stuff.
Hauling the trunk out, we found both uniforms looking as if they’d been stored yesterday.
Our youngest daughter, researching what each award on the mystery uniform represented, discovered that this officer served in both WWI and WWII.
The ribbons represented the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, the WWI Mexican Border campaign medal (1916-1917) and an Asiatic Pacific medal with five stars from WWII. There were also Victory ribbons from both World Wars, and the Philippines Liberation Medal (1 Star). Combining those with the Statue of Liberty shoulder patch of the 77th Infantry Division, our thoughts of a family member being the possible owner evaporated.
The next logical step was to find whomever mom purchased the house from in 1964. With the lockdown, obvious research venues such as the land records office and libraries were closed. And needed sales records didn’t show up in our online searches.
So, on May 17, I posted a notice on Del Ray’s Nextdoor.com message board: “Hoping to connect local family to a piece of their history,” I wrote, accompanied by a photo of the uniform.
With lightning speed, several dozen strangers-to-us chimed in, each drawing from their own expertise and hunches. Historians, genealogists, real estate agents and out-of-the-box thinkers all worked like a cheerful cohesive team, quickly pulling the missing pieces together while cheering each other on.
A military historian, cross-referencing his resources for WWI and WWII awards, determined that our soldier had to be born before 1899 to make it to Mexico and reach senior rank by WWII.
The very defined series of decorations led him to three local possibilities, one being Colonel Royal L. Gervais (1895 -1967) interred in Arlington National Cemetery. Simultaneously, an ancestry buff found partial online records for my mom’s house showing a John M. Gervais living there from 1950-52. Then, the historian found a report that in 1949, Royal Leonard Gervais left the same Green Street address to travel aboard the USAT “Thomas Barry” bound for Germany.
“Found him!” he posted on May 18. I could almost feel hugs and high fives as online kudos were joyfully shared.
Research continued. A family tree on Ancestry.com included Royal L. Gervais, but I was crestfallen after seeing the site’s owner hadn’t logged on in over a year. I sent an inquiry anyway and surprisingly got a same-day response saying, “That was my great grandfather,” from the tree’s manager. He later said something just told him to check Ancestry that day.
After telling him of our collective efforts via Nextdoor, he responded, "I am amazed at the speed and diligence of the community research — perhaps my favorite part of this story!"
We’ve learned so much more about The Colonel in the Attic since May, but one big question loomed. Why was his uniform in the Green Street attic for so many years?
Alexandria’s land records office re-opened Aug. 31. Assisted by helpful staffers there, I discovered my mom purchased her home directly from Col. Gervais, who purchased it in 1950 as an investment property.
When the 100-plus folks tracking the mystery were updated on this find, one wrote, “I'm glad the City offices weren't open because it gave us all this fun little story/hunt to follow along with.”
On Sept. 13, 2020, Colonel Royal Gervais’s uniform — after residing in an attic through 14 years of tenants and 22 years of my mom’s ownership, then in our closet for 34 years — was returned in person to members of his family as they shared photos and memories of the Colonel with us.
I know nothing about the politics, creeds or lifestyles of any of those who participated in this incredible project. I just know that it feels like a huge, caring, extended family came together quickly and efficiently to free the amazing Colonel in the Attic and begin to tell his story.
Photo provided by Ann Cameron Siegal
Col. Royal L. Gervais' uniform returns to family members — great granddaughter Kris Eyler of Haymarket, Va., grandson Bill Gervais of North Carolina and great grandson Todd Ebert of Falls Church, Va.
