Thread by @mtruslowstorey

Booted up my 16-yr-old high school laptop to open a WWII database that lives on a CD, works only on Windows 98, & exists no where else. The creator is dead. Need help to save the data from technological oblivion. At stake are stories of 5k airmen who fought Hitler from sky. (1/4)

The background: OG database used to live online. In 2019, I scraped 1 million data points & built a new, more modern version. I got most of the data, but not all. This year, the OG online database was taken down. Now a CD is only way to get OG data. (2/4)
44thbombgroup.org

The ask: I don't know Microsoft Access. I want to scrape all the data & pics off the CD + get them into a spreadsheet + files. But at a loss on how to do it b/c CD works only on old comps. Can you help? (3/4)

The reason: Almost everyday, I get emails asking for help finding stories WWII vets took to the grave from children/grandkids. This CD holds more data I need - but can't get to. Vets spent decades building OG database so those lost wouldn't be forgotten. (4/4) #ww2 #mighty8th

This community has helped me troubleshoot before to cache the dashboard I built. Looking for someone who knows Access, who could help me write a script to get the data. Know anyone? #microsoftaccess #omeka #coders #help

Update: This little community has already outdone itself. Grateful & amazed at all the offers for help. Will work on ISO piece tomorrow & will post here if I get stuck. Then it’ll be off to the races. Planning to upload the file per the recs so everyone can access. Stay tuned!

I’ve been trying to get the rest of the data off this CD for years. I’d given up. But I booted up the ‘00s laptop this morning to help the grandson of an airman KIA look for a pic. The database lagged. The ‘00s laptop kept dying. Tweeted out of frustration. And here we are! 🙏

This database is how I first found my own grandfather Wally’s missions - in 2018 - 20 yrs after he died & took his war to the grave. This data - his missions - were the only portal I had into his story. Like millions of others, NARA file burned in the ‘73 fire.

I don’t think this crew needs more convincing re: why this matters, but this database is a lifeline to stories of 5k men who fought for the freedom of a foreign ppl, Wally included. It matters, a lot, to a lot of ppl who wonder what their father/pops/uncle/brother did in the war.