One of the great things of working with veterans and their families is hearing stories that don’t make it into textbooks. For those of us who care about history, these first-hand and second-hand memories present both a challenge and an opportunity. How do we preserve these stories of World War II as their tellers
Below is the story of Marvin C. Wolfe, a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Company I. Marvin fought from D-Day through Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. In 2004, six years before he passed away, Marvin wrote his story down and also recorded it on
The VBC--and the world--lost one of its most beloved veterans ever to share his story with us. Jake Larson—decorated World War II veteran and unlikely social media star known to millions as “Papa Jake”—died peacefully at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area on July 17, 2025. He was 102. Jake joined us
Cecilia Gaerlan, Executive Director of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society, emailed us to let us know that a bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the brave women who were World War II Army and Navy nurses. The WII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act would
Shoichi Yokoi as a young Army Sgt. A tailor by trade, he was conscripted in 1941. In 1944, after U.S. forces retook Guam, he was the sole survivor of his 20,000 man garrison. (Public Domain) By Donn Nemchick In 1972, I was stationed at the Naval Communication Center in Guam when the
Written by Jeanne "Sam" Christie (with Todd DePastino) When I left Vietnam in 1968, I packed away the experience like a duffel bag and moved on with my life. Or so I thought. I had worked for the American Red Cross at the big recreation center—the DNG Center—on Freedom Hill in Da Nang. It
