A statewide volunteer writers’ group is seeking help to tell the stories of Pennsylvania’s fallen service members from World War II.

Stories Behind the Stars, led by Franklin County’s Kathy Harmon, has been researching and writing memorials for the nearly 31,900 Pennsylvanians who died in the war. These stories are posted on the veterans’ website Fold3.com and linked to the Find-a-Grave app, allowing gravesite visitors to learn about the fallen by scanning headstones.

So far, volunteers have memorialized over 8,100 of Pennsylvania’s WWII heroes, including 24 of the 131 fallen from Clarion County. The national non-profit organization aims to tell the stories of all 421,000 Americans who died in WWII.

Harmon hopes to double the number of volunteer writers, emphasizing the rewarding nature of the work and the gratitude received from descendants. She shared examples of appreciative messages from relatives who learned details about their loved ones’ service and sacrifice through the project.

Volunteers work from home at their own pace and receive free access to research websites Fold3.com, Ancestry.com, and Newspapers.com, a package normally costing $479 annually.

Harmon is seeking to complete the stories of the remaining 23,700 Pennsylvania WWII fallen. “Eighty years ago, thousands of brave Pennsylvania sons and daughters fought and died for our freedom. Telling stories for those who never could is very powerful,” Harmon said. “They deserve to be remembered.”

Those interested in volunteering can contact Kathy Harmon at kharmon@storiesbehindthestars.org. More information is available at https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/ and https://www.fold3.com/.