Man travels across the country to interview every living WWII veteran

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – It’s important to keep our veterans’ legacy alive. A California man has embarked on a seven-year journey to tell the stories of every WWII veteran still alive. On Sunday, July 7, he made his way to Merrill to speak with a man who served in the 34th Infantry Regiment.

Rishi Sharma has interviewed over 2,500 World War II veterans since 2016. The 26-year-old has stayed in rental cars and Airbnbs during his trip. He has one goal: to keep the veterans’ stories alive.

For Sharma, this means more than just sharing memories. It’s also about making the veterans’ names known and bringing their moving stories to the younger generation.

“It’s not fair to ask this whole group, this whole generation, to go abroad to fight and die and come home with the traumas of war and then forget them. That’s not fair,” said Sharma, founder of RememberWW2.

It takes a lot of effort and time to make sure no veteran is forgotten. Sharma says he has barely seen his bedroom in the last seven years, but it has been worth it. The veterans always feel honored and happy to tell their stories.

“It’s cool to see how excited they are that a young person is interested in them. They feed off my energy,” Sharma said.

He wants to keep this energy going for a long time. Sharma says he won’t stop doing what he loves and hopes other young people won’t either.

“You have done your part. It is up to the younger generation to make the sacrifices of World War II veterans worthwhile,” Sharma said.

Sharma says his journey is far from over. He is always looking for more veterans to share their stories with him.

To share a story with him, call 202-315-8743. Click here to follow Sharma’s journey and hear all the WWII veterans’ stories.

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