Meet the Teen Documenting WWII Veterans’ Stories to Honor the Greatest Generation

During his first-ever chat with a World War II veteran, Tyler Boland, then 15, sat transfixed in the living room of 98-year-old Joseph Zebertavage. Over several hours, Joseph shared tales of his time on a Navy ship bombarding Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944—now known as D-Day. 

He is so nice, so lucid, I can’t believe he is 98. I’ve never met someone this old, Tyler thought. And everything I’ve read about is coming to life. This is amazing, he was there!

As Tyler listened, he became overwhelmed with awe at experiencing history through the firsthand account of a member of the Greatest Generation. 

“I want to keep meeting more veterans!” Tyler told his dad when he got home.

Tyler’s excitement gave his dad an idea: “If you’re going to keep doing this, take camera equipment and record them so we always have their stories!” 

Living legacy

As a child growing up in Reading, Pennsylvania, Tyler became fascinated with World War II when his maternal grandmother shared stories and photos of her father’s—Tyler’s great-grandfather—time as a Marine in the South Pacific. 

“Look at what my dad brought home,” she said to Tyler as she showed him the Japanese military patches and other war-time memorabilia from Okinawa. 

Later, during Tyler’s freshman year of high school, he was thrilled when a WWII vet planned on speaking to his class, but the day before the visit, the veteran passed away. 

Wow, these guys are getting older and there are not a whole lot of them left, Tyler thought, sorrow clenching his heart.

Soon after, while reading a story commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day in the local newspaper, which included Joseph Zebertavage’s D-Day experiences, Tyler had an idea. Maybe I can reach out to him and hear his story, Tyler hoped.

Precious memories

After that first conversation with Joseph, Tyler returned with a video recorder and had another chat, this time taping it. Then Tyler met a veteran who served in the same places as Tyler’s great-grandfather and recorded his story as well. 

I want to honor my great-grandpa, he thought. I have to keep doing this.

Before long, Tyler reached out to the VA and local nursing homes in his search for more WWII veterans to speak with and record. About half of the veterans had never shared their stories before, and they found great comfort in opening up to Tyler—a gentle and compassionate listener. Some would even cry as they recalled their harrowing memories on the battlefield and lost friends.

I treasure these moments; they’re entrusting me to hear this, thought Tyler. I’m the first person, not even their family, that they’ve chosen to tell. This is such an honor!

Many veterans yearned for the camaraderie they felt with Tyler, who has since become their trusted friend. Tyler, now 20, even owns a WWII jeep and frequently picks up his pals to take them to participate in events and parades for the Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. 

In November of 2023, Tyler hosted a WWII dinner for 60 veterans at a restaurant in Reading. He even raised money to send two of the vets to Normandy, France, and Tyler joined them on the unforgettable trip this past summer.

This is so special, Tyler marveled. Not a lot of kids my age are friends with 100-year-olds.

One of those 100-year-old pals is Bernadene H. Smith, a WWII Army nurse. “I was so impressed with Tyler the first time I met him. He is so kind, so thoughtful, so caring,” she says. “He has renewed my faith in the younger generation. He has been a light in my life; he makes my heart happy.”

Now, Tyler has interviewed over 250 veterans and posts the interviews to his YouTube channel called Keeping History Alive. He plans on donating the project to the Library of Congress and is thrilled that he has found such a meaningful passion. “I’m going to keep going, as long as there’s World War II vets out there to interview,” Tyler says. “They’re very humble. They have good life advice, and when people call them ‘the Greatest Generation,’ they’re definitely right. They’re superstars, and I treasure being friends with them.”