[stately military music] - Michael Hellquist: I knew I wanted to be military from a young age.

I served in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

- Angela Fitzgerald: Michael Hellquist grew up in a military family, along with a sense of honor and tradition.

- My grandfather is probably my biggest inspiration.

How's it going, Gramps?

- George Swenson: Just wonderful.

- Michael: It actually started with the American Legion.

I was a kid, and any time he'd have a Legion meeting to go to, a function, I'd go with.

- George: What?

- Michael: You're the longest-serving legionnaire in the state of Wisconsin.

- You're kidding.

I didn't know that.

[gavel banging] - Angela: Grandfather and grandson still share time together at the American Legion in Kenosha.

- Michael: So this is probably one of my favorite pictures of my grandpa.

That was just this past Army Navy game.

- Angela: Michael is on a mission to piece together his family's history in the armed forces.

- Robert Hellquist: You know, I got that hat.

- Yeah, I'd like to put it on display at some point.

- Yeah.

- Angela: On this day, he shares the collection of military memorabilia with his dad.

- Michael: Grandpa's original dog tag from Korea.

Your dog tag and then my dog tag.

You got my uncle, Les, and cousin, Verle.

He was in Korea and Vietnam.

- Angela: During the pandemic, Michael started tracing his family's story.

- I think on his mother's side, how far back he got.

'Cause he got back into the 1700s.

- Michael: There's eight generations of military in my family that I've been able to trace from the Revolutionary War until Iraq and Afghanistan.

- Angela: This Iraq War veteran has made some fascinating discoveries that make his family unique.

- Every story is unbelievable.

James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States, is my fourth or fifth great-uncle.

He's not the greatest president in the world, considered the father of the American Civil War, but it's exciting for me to be able to trace that lineage, that I am related to a U.S.

president.

To my knowledge, I have three relatives that fought in the Revolutionary War.

Like General Samuel Sloan from the Massachusetts militia.

He was also at the Battle of Ticonderoga.

He's my sixth great-grandfather, so that is great, great, great, great, great, great-grandfather.

...To England.

I'm sure we have relatives that fought for the English.

I don't have links on them yet.

Key word is "yet."

I will find them.

- Angela: Now, it is Grandpa George who is finding inspiration from Michael.

- Michael: ...My tattoo.

This is my grandfather's Aunt Madeline.

She was a nurse in the nurse corps for World War II.

- That boy has done tremendous work in getting all this stuff together.

- So this is what I've been able to come up with for your dad, is his Certificate of Military Service.

He served from March of 1918 until January of 1919.

- And I'm very proud of what he's put together, y'know.

I practically raised that boy.

[voice breaks] Can't help it.

I'm proud of him with what he has turned out to be.

He's as good as gold.

So I'm very proud of you.

- I'm proud of you too, Grandpa.

[chuckles] Well, there's nobody like him.

- You got that right.

[Michael laughs] - Angela: One veteran sharing his story has resulted in nearly 1,000 new family stories.

- Michael: It was daunting, but I have 997 people on my ancestry family tree right now.

- Yeah, it's amazing.

I can't believe some of the things he's got over there.

From his grandmother's side, his mother's side, and my side.

Proud of you, son.

- Michael: Thank you.

So... - Yeah.

- Angela: The quest to find more stories continues, and Michael's military pride will be preserved for generations to come.

- Michael: I don't know why, what drives me.

I think it's my passion because I'm a veteran, my grandfather's a veteran, my father's a veteran.

I'm very proud of my family.

What's your serial number, Grandpa?

- 1392117.

- Michael: It's a humbling experience, it's exciting.

It's cool to just be able to say I have all of this history in my family.

[rousing music]