A college student with a passion for history and storytelling recently helped a World War II veteran return to the site where he lost his hand in combat more than 80 years ago.
Tyler Boland, 22, from Reading, Pennsylvania, interviews veterans and uploads their stories to his YouTube channel, Keeping History Alive. He especially seeks out WWII veterans, with most being over 100 years old or close to reaching the century mark.
“Given this time that we have with them, this small pocket of time, I think it’s important that we tell their stories,” Boland told WPVI in Philadelphia.
Calling it his passion project, Boland started interviewing WWII veterans more than five years ago when he was still in high school, even traveling throughout the U.S. to film his interviews. He’s been featured on local news segments and podcasts, as well as nationally, on ABC Nightly News. In 2024, Boland organized a Memorial Day Parade featuring 31 WWII veterans.
Boland, a senior at Albright College in Reading, recently documented the story of Russell Sattazahn, a 99-year-old Army veteran who lost a hand fighting in Germany.
One wouldn’t suspect two men with an almost 80-year age difference to have much in common, but after they met, Boland and Sattazahn developed a bond and a “really good friendship,” according to the college student.
“He told me the story of how he lost his hand in combat in a small town called Uckerath, Germany, and when I interviewed him, I said, ‘Would you ever want to go back?’” Boland said. “I was like, I promise I’ll find a way to get you back there.’”
Helping Him Get There
Lacking the financial means to travel to Europe, Boland helped Sattazahn by sharing his story, along with setting up local donations and a GoFundMe account. The result – a special trip 80 years in the making and peace of mind for a World War II veteran.
"We got the funds in like four hours," Boland said. “It probably brought him closure because he never went back to Europe after 80 years."
Drafted out of high school in 1944, Sattazahn, from Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania, went into the Army. He was not spared from some of the fiercest fighting near the end of the war. Memories of the day he lost his hand remain painfully fresh.
“They zeroed in on us with heavy artillery. The second one hit and hit direct, and it blew my hand off,” Sattazahn said.
In an instant, an 18-year-old's life was altered. Sattazahn feared simple joys, like playing sports, were gone.
“And the first thing, I looked down, and I said, ‘I’ll never play baseball again,’” he said. "Finally, I said, 'Russell, get a hold of yourself. This is not going to change; it can't get better. Do things that you can do, don't worry about things you can't do anymore.' That was a big help to me."
While some soldiers probably wouldn’t want to return to the place where they were wounded, Sattazahn said he had a good experience returning to the small German town where he lost his hand, saying it brought back a lot of memories. He knows the trip wouldn’t have been possible without Boland.
“Tyler was one great man. I thank him for everything. He got me going back to Germany,” Sattazahn said. “There’s nobody better than him. You’ve got a lot of things done that I never would have got done.”
Passion for Storytelling Continues
Boland has military ties in his family. While he never got to meet his great-grandfather, a WWII Marine, his service inspired Boland to capture veterans’ stories, inspiring future generations.
“He died before I was born, so in honor of him, I said I’m going to interview as many World War II vets as I can,” Boland said. “I’m just inspired because they are living, walking heroes, and I get to meet them every day.”
No matter where life takes him after college, Boland has no plans to stop interviewing veterans.
“As long as there’s World War II vets out there, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing,” he said. “If you know someone, thank them for their service. They’ve done a lot for us, and without Russell and these other guys, I would not be here, and they really mean a lot to me.”
Veterans and their families can get in touch with Boland through his website.
