Peachtree Corners’ resident Tom Beaty turned a fascination with World War II movies into a legacy of stories that otherwise would have been lost. Not a veteran himself and not from a military family, Beaty simply loved history.
“I wasn’t as intrigued by the geopolitical side of why wars start or the backroom politics, I was much more interested in the foxhole, anecdotal stories of the men and women who were in the middle of the conflict,” said Beaty.
Despite having just started a business, he would meet World War II veterans for breakfast or lunch to hear their stories. He quickly realized these tales could be lost forever.
With no video production experience, the history lover bought a camera and started recording stories. Those first conversations became the seedlings to create The Witness to War Foundation.
“I started the Witness to War Foundation when I was faced with the sad reality that WW2 Veterans wouldn’t be around much longer to tell the story themselves. Having two young kids and a brand new business, the timing was not great but I knew the Veterans would not be available when the time was more convenient for me,” said the founder.
The entrepreneur had just launched the procurement consulting firm Insight Sourcing Group, where, according to Beaty, they have collectively helped companies like Post Consumer Brands, PepsiCo, Lululemon and Under Armour save over $1 billion.
While helping these companies reduce costs, the foundation set its goal to capture as many stories as possible from the soldiers, sailors and airmen who experienced combat action.
According to their website, “It is about the fear, the emotions, the training, and the previously untapped wells of personal courage that enabled ordinary individuals to survive, and in some cases thrive, under extraordinary pressures and almost unimaginable danger.”
Witnesstowar.org recently recorded its 3,000th interview. Taking snippets from these full dialogues, the organization has compiled over 8,000 WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and other video war stories.
“Our mission is to ensure future generations don’t forget. That future generations have a place on the web to hear these stories so they can better understand what it was like to be there and the price paid for our freedom,” stated Beaty.
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