Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
These guys faced life or death situations.. it’s so important to record them
Rishi, 22, has travelled globe meeting veterans
COMING under fire from Messerschmitts at Monte Cassino and resisting the German Army’s advance into Belgium are among the stories recorded in Northern Ireland this week by a young filmmaker on an incredible mission.
Rishi Sharma has not set foot in his native California for four years as he continues an epic journey around the globe to document the lives of the soldiers who fought in World War II.
So far he has met with and recorded the experiences of 1,100 combatants who fought in both the European and Pacific theatres.
He has set up camp in Donegall Pass in South Belfast and earlier this week he met with two men in Omagh, Co Tyrone, aged 101 and 102, who saw action during the German blitzkrieg of the Low Countries in 1940 and the Allied advance through Italy in 1944 which was met with fierce resistance from the Wehrmacht.
But Rishi is not ready to depart from Northern Ireland yet and wants to hear from anyone who can put him in touch with more veterans.
Explaing how his historic odyssey began, he told the Mirror : “At high school I watched Band Of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan and saw these stories of boys my age having to go through hell.
“I started reading about the war and became engrossed in it.”
After meeting veterans nearby and across the US, he decided to set up a Gofundme account hoping to raise funds to come to Europe..
Rishi explained: “At first I didn’t make much, but then the Associated Press picked up on the story and then the national networks and before long I had $200,000.
“Basically I’ve been on the road ever since. I’m down to my last $25,000 and still looking to talk to as many veterans as I can.
“These are just such incredible people. We complain noawadays if the Wifi’s down, but these
guys
Just such incredible people... they didn’t complain RISHI SHARMA BELFAST YESTERDAY
lived in a time when they were facing life-or-death situations. Yet they didn’t complain.
“I just think it’s so important we record their experiences while we can.” Already Rishi has met with Dave Mullan, a Monaghan man living in Omagh since 1949. The 101-year -old and t wo of his brothers joined the
British Army, with Dave ending up in the North Irish Horse.
He drove truckloads of shells and fuel to tanks at the frontline at Monte Cassino, a bloody battle in which the Allies had to dislodge German forces dug in and not ready to retreat from Italy without a fight.
He tells Rishi of how he saw a motorbike dispatch rider killed in front of him and another soldier whose uniform was literally blown off by the blast of a Nebelwerfer or German rocket as he stood next to him. Also living in Omagh is 102-year-old Bob Lingwood, who is originally from England.
He served in the Royal Signals in Belgium and in 1940 he was presented the Military Medal by King George VI for his bravery in the face of the Nazi onslaught.
Rishi, 22, has been to 45 states in America as well as the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and France to speak to veterans.
He plans one day to see if the vast amount of material he has collected can be used for a series of documentaries.
Each interview can last a number of hours with every participant sent a DVD of it.
Rishi is being helped during his visit by volunteers from the ACT Initiative.
He is asking anyone who knows any veterans to contact him via his www.heroesofthesecondworldwar.org website or by ringing him on 01 202 315 0743.
People can also call Ian Shanks from the ACT on 07818566106.