UPDATED 9/12/2023
For the next 11 days we will track how many stories are being added with the goal of adding 1,100 stories of the WWII fallen by September 11, 2023.
The start number is 34,843.
Day 1 - 34,941
Day 3 - 35,045
Day 7 - 35,249
Day 10 - 35,433
Day 11 - 35,477
Thanks to all those who joined in this project!
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Between 1941 and 1945 421,000 Americans provided the ultimate service when they gave their lives for their country while serving in the armed forces.
The nonprofit initiative Stories Behind the Stars is looking for volunteers to write 1,100 stories of these fallen heroes between September 1, 2023 and September 11, 2023. This is a wonderful way for people to be part of this year's 9/11 Day of Service. The stories added to this project will be accessible via free smartphone app at any of the fallen gravesites anywhere in the world.
This federally-recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance asks people to engage in charitable service. While we have already had nearly 1,000 people participate in this project (who have already completed more than 34,000 stories), we would love to have them (and many more people) add these 1,100 additional stories in 11 days.
Here are some areas where you can help add stories:
Stories from a unit or ship you are associated with. What if everyone of the fallen from this unit had a permanent story available to anyone?
Stories about the 1,015 Americans lost with the sinking of HMT Rohna, 80 years ago this Thanksgiving (more details here).
Stories about the 803 airmen lost from the 100th Bombardment Group, soon to be the subject of an Apple TV+ miniseries from the producers of Bands of Brothers (more details here).
Stories of fallen from your city, county, or state. For example, volunteers from Pennsylvania are writing the stories of the 500+ WWII fallen buried at Gettysburg National Cemetery.
Stories about (1) family you lost in the war, or (2) those who served with family who were lost in the war.
It only takes as little as 2-3 hours to write the stories of a WWII fallen hero. New volunteers can request a bomber crew name, especially set aside for beginners. We provide free training and free access to key research websites. Our volunteers save stories to the platforms of our partners Fold3 or Together We Served.
Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers from all 50 states and more than a dozen other countries, 34,000+ US World War II fallen now each have a story. See https://www.fold3.com/partner/stories-behind-the-stars.
Stories completed so far includes all of the 2,341 Pearl Harbor fallen, all of the 2,502 US D-Day fallen, and all of the 8,700 US World War II fallen buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
For those with a deep gratitude for the Greatest Generation, what better way to observe 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance than write stories of these fallen heroes for people to read at their gravesites for decades to come?
We'll share further posts here as this 9/11 Day of Service project moves forward.
To find out how to volunteer, visit https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/volunteer
Information about donating to support this project here.
Address questions to Don Milne don@storiesbehindthestars.org.
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