In a new book titled "The Last Full Measure: An American Family and How the United States Brought Home the Dead of World War II," (Stackpole Books, 2026), author Kim Clarke illuminates a lesser-known operation in U.S. military history: the Army Effects Bureau. Helmed by University of Michigan graduate Col. John Murphy, LLB 1930, the bureau counted nearly 1,000 staff members who were tasked with returning fallen soldiers’ personal items to their loved ones back home. Objects included wallets, bibles, journals, lighters, jewelry, and weapons (some still loaded). The bureau’s work required meticulous organization, not to mention cleaning skills (to remove blood, mud, and more) before packaging the effects with a personal letter. The process offered a “temporary bridge” to heartbroken families who often waited years to be reunited with their loved one’s bodies. Read more at michigantoday.umich.edu