A Tribute to the Brave: Journalist Rishi Sharma’s Mission to Document World War II Veterans

At just 26 years old, Rishi Sharma has dedicated himself to interviewing allied World War II veterans from around the world. To date, he has interviewed over 2,500 veterans from all 50 states, as well as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Sharma runs a nonprofit organization and YouTube channel where he shares these interviews with the world.

Sharma’s passion for this work began when he was just 15 years old, reading about soldiers’ personal stories in books and wanting to meet these veterans in person. He started his project by interviewing veterans in his hometown in California and it has since grown into a global initiative. When Sharma visits veterans in their homes, he feels like a little boy meeting Superman – these are his heroes.

Recently, Sharma interviewed Robert Taylor, a veteran who served on the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier during World War II, manning anti-aircraft cannons and fighting in significant battles like the Coral Sea and Midway. Despite the challenges of traveling from state to state and sleeping in his car to save money, Sharma shows no signs of slowing down in his mission to document the stories of every combat veteran willing to speak to him.

For Sharma, this work is more than just an interview; it’s his way of saying thank you to these heroes who gave so much for their countries. He believes that by documenting their stories, these veterans can live on through the generations and their sacrifices and bravery will never be forgotten.