Yes, both the energy and atoms that make up our body existed before we are conceived and will exist after we die. All the atoms that make up our body have existed for billions of years. They were created in the hearts of long dead stars.
Actually, we have a completely new set of atoms making up our body roughly every 7 years. Atoms leave our body when we breath out, sweat, use the restroom, etc. and get replaced by different atoms when we breath in, eat, drink, etc. Chemical reactions in and on us exchange out atoms all the time. As for energy, all the energy that is within us is simply energy changing from one form to another.
Chemical energy being converted to kinetic energy, kinetic energy being converted to heat energy, etc, etc. Due to E=MC^2, the total amount of energy in our body also contributes to our overall mass.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.