America recently celebrated its 250th anniversary of independence on July 4, 2026. The country that stands today as the highest and most powerful democracy in the world has had its fair share of wars and battles.
While historians and museums work to protect and preserve parts of the past that served to keep the present alive, one man of Indian origin was on a mission to preserve a present that could soon become history.Rishi Sharma, a man of Indian descent living in the United States, has been working for more than a decade to preserve World War II history in America. He crossed the country on a mission to meet all World War II veterans and learn about their role in the war along with their life journeys.So far, the 28-year-old has managed to interview more than 3,000 veterans and he’s not done yet. “For the past 10 years, I’ve been on a mission to interview every World War II veteran,” he told CBS. “And I’ve honestly spent every day of the last 10 years doing that.”
Interview veterans
The 28-year-old has managed to interview over 3,000 veterans and he’s not done yet
Richie recently interviewed Nils Moakler, a 100-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Yorktown, New York. Nils was a combat intelligence scout and his first battle was at Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest and most inspiring battles in Navy history.
“What does it mean to you to see the American flag raised?” Richie asked Niles.“Well, the hair on my arm still stands when I think about how beautiful it was,” Nils said.
Childhood dream
Fresh out of high school, Rishi was 18 when he began his trek around his Southern California neighborhood recording interviews with veterans. Over the decade, he traveled through all 50 states including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and France.He quickly expanded his reach by creating a map of places he hoped to visit in the coming years. “There are real heroes who are veterans from World War II, and I want to meet them,” Rishi said in 2016.Interestingly, his passion for World War II history did not come from family tradition. His parents immigrated to the United States from India and he has no military background. But he had always been interested in World War II history since high school.His project, “Remembering World War II,” is funded by donations as Rishi speaks to vets for hours, then gives the recordings to families. He takes no salary for himself and all donations go to cover travel costs to photograph veterans on camera.He also posts videos of interactions on his YouTube channel ‘Remembering WWII with Rishi Sharma’ where he enjoys 172k subscribers.
Protecting history and heritage
He added: “Just the advice they give in silence is what drives this country’s ship.”
A decade ago, when Rishi began his project, there were about 700,000 World War II veterans alive worldwide.
Today, only about 30,000 of them remain.According to him, when they are all dead, perhaps in the next decade or so, America will lose more than just a collection of old war stories. “Because they have long been the moral compass of our society,” he said. “Just the advice they silently give is what steers this country’s ship.”Through his mission, Rishi reminds the country that the longevity and freedom they enjoy today are due in large part to the veterans who gave their lives for the United States of America.
