You could manually load remote page using plain old Nokogiri, then fix markup (i.e. Find checkboxes outside forms and wrap them), and construct Mechanize classes by yourself from fixed HTML code.
You can modify your form by deleting and merging new fields.
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.