The greatest generation is disappearing before our eyes.
With less than 1% of World War II veterans still alive today, their stories are vanishing faster than we can preserve them.
And WWII Veterans just gave Ancestry one final mission that will have millions searching through their own family histories for secrets they never knew existed.
Ancestry partners with WWII Veterans History Project to preserve vanishing stories
Ancestry announced a partnership with the WWII Veterans History Project to commemorate the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end – and the timing couldn’t be more crucial.¹
The company is launching "Thank You For Your Story," which will preserve firsthand accounts from 80 WWII veterans while helping families trace their own wartime connections.
"There’s never been a more important time to honor our ancestors’ WWII-era stories and lived experiences and to preserve the memory of some of America’s most remarkable heroes," said Crista Cowan, Ancestry Corporate Genealogist.²
Here’s why this matters now. The US Department of Veterans Affairs reports less than 1% of WWII veterans remain alive, which means we’re running out of time to capture these accounts directly from the men who lived them.
The WWII Veterans History Project has spent ten years filming and documenting veteran stories across the country.
Through this partnership with Ancestry, those interviews will be available for free on Ancestry websites – giving families access to both specific veteran accounts and the tools to research their own family’s wartime service.
Families nationwide about to discover hidden connections to America’s greatest generation
This goes beyond just preserving stories. Ancestry wants to help ordinary Americans find out how their own families fit into the WWII picture.
"Every family has a World War II story waiting to be discovered, and this initiative is a powerful way to remind people to uncover their personal connections to this chapter in history," Cowan explained.³
Benjamin Mack-Jackson founded the WWII Veterans History Project and sees the urgency here.
"This anniversary is a powerful reminder that the opportunity to hear directly from those who lived through it is disappearing fast," Mack-Jackson stated. "By partnering with Ancestry, we’re able to make these vital human stories more widely accessible than ever before and ensure they’re never forgotten."⁴
Ancestry brings serious resources to this effort – over 65 billion records, more than 3 million subscribers, and over 27 million people in their DNA network.
That reach means these veteran stories will connect with more families than ever before.
Perfect timing creates opportunity for national remembrance
The 80th anniversary gives this project extra meaning, but there’s practical timing at work too.
The full experience launches in early November – right around Veterans Day 2025. But families can start digging through military records and resources right now at www.ancestry.com/wwii.
America’s struggling with how to honor military heritage while many WWII veterans’ stories slip away. Ancestry’s Corporate Genealogist pointed out that these veterans’ sacrifices "not only deserve remembrance, but their wisdom and experiences offer invaluable lessons that can guide our lives today."⁵
Mack-Jackson started the WWII Veterans History Project as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit back in 2015, spending years building relationships with surviving veterans.
His organization’s mission – "to give the past a future, one story at a time" – fits perfectly with what Ancestry does for family history research.
What this means for American families
This partnership does more than preserve history. It gives families the tools to understand where they fit in America’s defining chapter.
Ancestry and the WWII Veterans History Project will be uploading veteran interviews over the coming months. Families will get access to both those specific accounts and Ancestry’s research tools to trace their own wartime connections.
World War II touched virtually every American family somehow – through military service, working in defense plants, rationing on the home front, or sending sons overseas.
Now families can piece together those personal connections in ways that weren’t possible before. The combination of preserved veteran stories and Ancestry’s databases creates opportunities to fill in family history gaps that have existed for decades.
We’re approaching the end of living memory from World War II. This partnership ensures that before the last veteran passes away, their stories will be preserved and accessible to the families and nation they served.
The window for capturing these firsthand accounts is closing fast. But this initiative gives families one more chance to discover how their own story connects to the greatest generation’s service.
¹ Ancestry, "Ancestry Partners with the WWII Veterans History Project to Preserve the Stories of 80 WWII Veterans," PR Newswire, August 12, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.
