By Roslyn Ryan, Editor
editor@powhatantoday.com

One thousand. That, according to historians, is the average number of World War II veterans lost every single day.

The number catches your attention, first for its sheer size and then for what it represents: a thousand people every day, a thousand stories and millions of memories lost forever.

For one group of dedicated historians in Powhatan, preserving the stories of the men and woman who served their country during WW II has become a mission.

On June 10, Powhatan residents will be invited to join them as they convene the first meeting of the World War II Round Table of Central Virginia.

Tom Tokarz, one of the founding members of the group, says the meetings will be a place for those with an interest in WWII history to come together and hear accounts from those who served in the US military during that time, as well as those who served in the British and German armed services. Tokarz says he wants the program to serve an educational purpose, but also to offer a way of honoring veterans for their service.

The WWII round table project grew out of a similar program sponsored by the Powhatan Historical Society, which met once every three months.

Each program will last roughly an hour, and will feature an interview with a WWII veteran, after which those in attendance will be able to ask questions.  Each interview will be videotaped and then archived, says Tokarz, in order to preserve the stories for future generations.

It’s important to get these stories preserved, says Tokarz, particularly since so many young people may have very little knowledge of the sacrifices these man and women made.

Then, of course, there’s that statistic, always looming, reminding them that the chance to document the stories of the WWII generation is quickly slipping away.

“The thing I hear most often is ‘Gee, I wish I had talked more to so and so before he died,’” said Tokarz. This project, he hopes, will encourage others to start a dialogue with family members who are veterans or who have memories of the war years.

The group plans to hold meetings on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Saint John Neumann Catholic Church.

Meetings will be followed by a coffee social, which organizers hope will offer participants a chance to share their knowledge and passion for WWII history.

A $3 donation is suggested for attendees who are not round table members, though all WWII veterans will be admitted free of charge.

For more information, contact Tom Tokarz at (804) 794-6084 or visit the organization’s Web site at http://ww2rtcva.com/.