14-Year-Old Suburban Girl Interviewing World War II Vets To Keep Their Stories Alive
(CBS) -- A 14-year old suburban girl is on a mission to make sure the stories of World War Two veterans aren't lost when they die, reports WBBM's Cisco Cotto.
Ellie Rutan of Elburn has recorded interviews with more than a dozen World War II veterans.
"My dad often says, 'Every time a veteran dies, a library is lost' and that is why we want to capture their story," said Rutan.
She has found when a veteran is approached and asked to tell their story, they are shocked.
"They've said that none of their children or grandchildren ever asked them about the war, that this is the first time talking to us that they are telling about it," said Rutan. "They just never talked about it because no one cared to ask."
Rutan says reading about World War Two in books is good, but hearing their stories is better.
"There is nothing like getting to actually talk with the World War II veterans in person," she said. "Often it is very emotional for them to talk about it. They often get very teary-eyed talking about what happened, what they went through, what they saw, what happened to others and that leaves an impression I think even more than books."
She will interview Edgar Harrell at College Church in Wheaton on October 3. He is a 90-year-old survivor of the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis.