Diane Liss of La Salle, Illinois thought she knew all there was to know about her late father, Frank J. Ajster.

A WWII veteran, Ajster had served in the United States Army until 1945. During that time, she was aware that he had fought in the Pacific theatre and refused to take leave until the war had ended.

However, in the years after his death, Liss continued to discover more and more about her father’s time in the service. By sifting through paperwork and old news clippings, Ajster’s intricate war story is starting to be pieced together.

One shocking discover was that Liss found out that her father hadn’t earned one Bronze Star – rather, he had five.

According to the Military Times, he was first sent out into the Pacific war zone in 1941 and remained there until May 2, 1945:

Of the approximately 2,000 men who were on a ship that steamed out of San Francisco the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor, just three men who remained in the war zone as long as Ajster did, most of them wounded, were killed or sent home.

The father’s story is difficult to verify, but Ajster indeed was a member of the 24th Infantry “Victory” Division’s “fighting 34th Infantry Regiment”, 3rd Battalion.

He didn’t tell his daughter much about the war, except a few stories. She has been finding more paperwork and learning more.

“I didn’t realize he was in a unit that was in so many battles,” she said.

Ajster was on a ship that departed from San Francisco on Dec. 6, 1941.

“They were a half day out when Pearl Harbor was bombed. They went back to San Francisco and got the ship ready for war,” Liss said.

One of the most telling artifacts Liss discovered was a Japanese flag that Ajster used to record the different locations he fought in. The flag was given to him by a Chicago soldier named Carney Feminella, who had taken it from a fallen Japanese soldier. It is thought that the flag is a “good luck flag” which Japanese soldiers carried with the signatures of family and friends back home.

Liss’s investigation into her father’s story is a common experience for many. There is so much left unknown from past generations regarding history, origin, and familial ties. However, as technology improves, these gaps in information become easier to manage and discover. Companies like 23andMe even offer military discounts to families who want to know more about who they are and where they come from.

Liss is still learning more about her father’s courageous life through her own research. She hopes to continue investigating the origins of the flag and find out more about the ships Ajster served on.