Against All Odds: Front Line Stories from World War II
Bestselling historian Alex Kershaw joins World War II veteran David Yoho for a powerful and deeply personal conversation on courage, sacrifice, and survival during history's greatest conflict. Drawing from Kershaw's acclaimed works chronicling the heroism of American soldiers and Yoho's firsthand experiences in wartime service, this program brings audiences to the front lines of World War II through unforgettable stories of combat, resilience, brotherhood, and duty. Together, they offer both historical insight and living testimony to the generation that helped preserve freedom in one of the defining struggles of the modern world.
*This Moments That Shaped America – A Nation and Independence at 250 event is part of the JES's USA 250 Event Series.
Location: Jefferson Educational Society - 3207 State St. Erie, PA 16508
Date/Time: Thursday, July 30th, 7:00-8:30PM
Admission: Week Pass for $50/each or $90 with a guest - $15/each or $25 with a guest
*If you do NOT receive an email from info@jeserie.org within 24-48 hours regarding your registration, please check your spam or junk folder. Thank you!
Educated at Oxford University, Alex Kershaw is the widely-acclaimed, prize-winning, New York Times best-selling author of twelve books, including The Longest Winter, The Bedford Boys, The First Wave, The Liberator, Against All Odds, and most recently, Patton's Prayer. Kershaw has been a journalist for over thirty years, having written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, AARP Magazine, The Guardian, and many other newspapers and magazines. Kershaw is a popular public speaker and designs and leads history tours around the world. He is also the Resident Historian for Friends of the National WWII Memorial and chairs the Colby Award selection committee. He lives in Washington, D.C. His book, Blood and Champagne, is currently being adapted into a TV series. His 2012 book, The Liberator, has been adapted into a four-part Netflix series. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages.
Dave Yoho is a World War II veteran, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and internationally acclaimed speaker whose remarkable life reflects the resilience and determination of the Greatest Generation. Enlisting in the U.S. Maritime Service in 1944 at just 16 years old, Yoho served aboard a T/2 tanker in the South Pacific during the final stages of World War II. Returning home after the war, he transformed his life from an inner-city youth who left high school before graduation into a successful businessman, earning his GED, attending college at night, and eventually founding his own company at age 28. His business ventures grew into a nationally recognized conglomerate, while his speaking career took him to every state in the nation and 22 countries around the world. Over the course of his career, Yoho delivered more than 5,000 paid speeches, authored numerous books—including two bestsellers—and became the first American to appear in Sydney’s famed Opera House. A passionate patriot and advocate for veterans, he has been invited to the White House four times and has received some of the highest honors in professional speaking, including the CPAE Hall of Fame designation and the Cavett Award. In 2022, Yoho was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his service and valor during World War II, and in 2024 he was selected by the American Veterans Center as a spokesperson for veterans nationwide.
