Photo by Todd Robinson.

“On this Veterans Day we pause to honor those who have selflessly served this nation and made sacrifices in order to uphold our freedom. Let us give a special salute to our very own Villanova veterans, our students, faculty, staff and alumni who have worn the uniform, and bring so much passion, experience, and leadership to our Villanova community.” –Ethan Shea, former English Graduate Student at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

Through “Lest We Forget: The Villanova Veterans History Project” an oral history project, the Office of Veterans and Military Service Members and Falvey Library’s Distinctive Collections and Digital Engagement Department capture the stories of veterans with connections to Villanova, archive them, and make them available to family members, friends, and the community. Learn more about the project here.

William P. Bonelli, US Army Air Corps/US Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel. Photo by Todd Robinson.

Part of The Voices of Villanova’s Veterans oral history project, Michael D. Brown, Director of the Office of Veterans and Military Service Members, interviewed William P. Bonelli, US Army Air Corps/US Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel, on March 19, 2019. On the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we invite you to listen as Bonelli, a WWII veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor, shares his story. You can download a copy of this recording and the transcript through the Villanova University Digital Library: https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:575376 (Length of interview: 1 hour, 20 minutes).

The Voices of Villanova’s Veterans is part of Lest We Forget: The Villanova Veterans History Project, a collaboration between the Office of Veterans and Military Service Members and Falvey Memorial Library’s Distinctive Collections and Digital Engagement Department. Interview audio produced by Laura Bang, Distinctive Collections Librarian.

Hear from more Villanova veterans on the project’s website: https://veteransvoices.library.villanova.edu/

Please contact veterans@villanova.edu if you have any questions or if you would like to share your story.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.