In this episode we sit down with Michael L. Strauss, a military historian and professional genealogist whose work spans archives, academia, and the courtroom. A featured speaker at the 2026 Ohio Genealogical Society Conference, Michael shares insights from his upcoming sessions, including research on non-combatants in military history, the American Protective League, U.S. Patent Office records, West Virginia genealogy, the Mexican-American War, and Justice of the Peace records. Discover how these often-overlooked sources can reveal powerful new details about your ancestors and expand your research beyond the basics.