Keeping History Alive

Name: Keeping History Alive
Start: 2025-05-10T10:00:00-04:00
Location: 940 Centre Ave, Reading, PA, United States, Pennsylvania 19601

Schedule

Sat, 10 May, 2025 at 10:00 am

UTC-04:00

Location

940 Centre Ave, Reading, PA, United States, Pennsylvania 19601 | Reading, PA

Join us on May 10th at 10 AM for a captivating session of the Berks History Center’s Second Saturday lecture series, featuring a presentation by Tyler Boland, a dedicated Albright student and historian. Tyler has been passionately preserving the invaluable stories of World War II veterans, ensuring that the legacy of "Our Greatest Generation" endures for future generations. His touching journey includes documenting personal experiences of nearly 200 Pennsylvania veterans, each with their own remarkable tales of bravery, sacrifice, and resilience.
Through his involvement with Forever Young Veterans, Tyler had the unique opportunity to travel with two veterans to Normandy, France, which was a profound experience that bridged history and personal narrative. During the lecture, he will share insightful observations gathered from his extensive interviews, offering a poignant look into the lives and contributions of these extraordinary individuals and providing attendees with a deeper understanding of their enduring impact on history and society.
This program will be held in person, inside the BHC Museum Auditorium. The cost of this program is $5/BHC Members and $10/Non-Members. The program fee includes admission to the BHC Museum. Coffee and light refreshments will be made available for participants at 9:30 AM.
Off-street parking is available in the BHC's parking lot, located at 160 Spring Street, Reading, PA 19601.
~About the Speaker~
Tyler Boland is a dedicated historian and advocate for World War II veterans, currently pursuing his studies as a junior at Albright College. A graduate of Wilson High School in 2022, Tyler's passion for history, particularly WWII, began in earnest five years ago when he was a sophomore. The 75th anniversary of D-Day that year sparked his interest, especially after reading about local WWII veteran Joseph Zebertavage in a newspaper article. Inspired by this encounter, Tyler conducted an interview with Joseph, igniting a deep commitment to preserving the stories of WWII veterans.
Tyler's great-grandfather, Charles Schwambach, served as a Marine in the South Pacific during the war, although Tyler never had the opportunity to meet him. Motivated by a desire to honor his great-grandfather's legacy, Tyler embarked on a mission to connect with as many WWII veterans as possible. What began as a few interviews has evolved into a significant project, with Tyler interviewing hundreds of veterans. He has accompanied them on meaningful journeys, such as visits to Normandy, attendance at the Super Bowl, and participation in parades, all in an effort to keep their stories alive.
Tyler's dedication to documenting and sharing these personal narratives ensures that the experiences and sacrifices of WWII veterans continue to be honored and remembered for generations to come.
For more information and to register, please visit: https://berkshistory.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F14963