By Jim Carchidi
April 15, 2026
Benjamin Mack-Jackson has spent 10 years helping future generations learn from the past. The Winter Park resident and Rollins College graduate founded the WWII Veterans History Project and is actively sharing and preserving first-hand accounts and stories told by those who served.
Living history
Benjamin Mack-Jackson with Daniel Keel, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen and one of only three Black officers to earn three aeronautical ratings during World War II. Keel's story is one of many archived for the WWII Veterans History Project. Photos courtesy of Benjamin Mack-Jackson
At the age of 13, Mack-Jackson began pursuing an interest in history and historical conflicts. Books and documentaries provided the basics and the journey became personal when he discovered his own great-grandfathers had fought in World War II. But a deeper understanding required direct access. “I wanted to speak with the people who had those experiences and document the conflicts from their points of view.”
Dale Noble of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regimen, 101st Airborne Division, helped seize and hold bridges for Allied advancements through Holland during Operation Market Garden in 1944.
He requested meetings with veterans and contacts made through his one-on-one discussions allowed access to Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion chapters. He collected close to 100 conversations in less than two years and the source material helped launch WWII Veterans History Project: a nonprofit dedicated to educating younger generations about the lessons and impact of historical conflicts.
Lessons to learn
A traveling exhibit and a book published with source material from interviews help share the history Mack-Jackson has collected.
Teaching tools include a traveling exhibit of artifacts donated by WWII veterans and their families, speaking engagements by Mack-Jackson at events and schools, and the 2021 publication of "World War II History for Teens." Mack-Jackson’s purpose is to suppliment current educational requirements with the level of engagement he found during his extracurricular pursuits.
“The experiences these veterans went through still carry such vital lessons for a world that is now shaped by the same types of division and conflict that their world was shaped by 80 years ago,” he said. “We’re trying to find ways of connecting to history and learn from history in a meaningful way.”
The lessons of today
Mack-Jackson was imbedded with fighters during six visits to Ukraine in a effort document the war and the stories of those surviving it.
Mack-Jackson’s pursuits have also led him to Normandy and other historic battlefields, and opened the door for opportunities to document the war in Ukraine. He traveled to the region in the spring of 2022 while on break from his studies at Rollins College. He documented the war, spoke with soldiers and citizens living amid the conflict, and explored its historical context.
“It’s the largest European war since WWII, which is mind-boggling to someone who studies history with the hopes of preventing future wars.”
He has currently completed six trips to Ukraine as an independent journalist and his photographs were part of the 2023 Orlando Museum of Art exhibit, “Relentless Courage: Ukraine and the World at War.”
The work continues
Mack-Jackson sees 2026 as an important year for the collection of additional source material, and possibly one of the last years the effort will be possible. While the reality of losing the first-hand insights of that generation is a sad one, he believes the stories have immeasurable benefit for future generations.
“Even if we take away the war-related aspects of their stories, there’s still so many takeaways from their world that we can use to help build a more peaceful and prosperous future.”
For additional information and updates on WWII Veterans History Project, visit the website.
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About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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