One day shy of his 100th birthday, Edward Conrad was behind a table in a Reading conference center, displaying some of his World War II personal memorabilia, including a stack of letters he exchanged with his family.
The Boyertown native was one of more than a dozen veterans of that war who were honored Saturday in the McGlinn Conference Center next to the Alvernia University main campus on the 81st anniversary of VJ Day.
Edward Conrad of Boyertown talks about his experiences in the Pacific theater in World War II during a program honoring veterans on the anniversary of VJ Day at the McGlinn Conference Center at the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The event was sponsored by the Lehigh Valley chapter of the Battle of the Bulge Association. A meet-and-greet of World War II veterans and some other icons — including Berks County’s own Rosie the Riveter, Dorothy Trate, now 104 — was followed by lunch and a program.
The group’s secretary, Meta Binder, said organizers decided to hold the anniversary event in Reading for the first time because most of the region’s surviving World War II veterans reside closer to Reading than Allentown.
“I just thought it was a very significant day and a lot of people from younger generations don’t even know what it is,” she said.
VJ Day stands for Victory over Japan Day, marking the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II in 1945.
Binder got involved several years ago when she started driving her father, James Binder, to Battle of the Bulge meetings in Bethlehem.
“There were a lot of veterans going at that time,” she said. “I got to know them. They asked me to be secretary. The last living member passed away in June.”
That spelled the official end of Battle of the Bulge reunions. The group’s focus has shifted to honoring veterans from all branches of service and wars.
The Battle of the Bulge, fought from Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 25, 1945, was Germany’s final major offensive in Europe. More than 80,000 American soldiers were wounded, more than 19,000 were killed, and thousands were taken prisoner during those six brutal weeks. The battle remains one of the deadliest in American military history.
Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally in May 1945, ending World War II in Europe. The ceasefire took effect on May 8, leading to widespread celebrations of V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day).
But the war continued in the Pacific, and that’s where Conrad was sent in 1945. He turned 18 just before beginning his senior year at Boyertown High School, and as far as Uncle Sam was concerned, he was draft eligible.
Service members could state their preference for a branch of service, but there was no guarantee the request would be granted.
“When I got in they asked me what order of service and I said the Navy,” he said. “I told them my two brothers were in the Navy, and luckily I got in the Navy.”
Unlike his brothers, Conrad didn’t serve shipside. He was a member of the Seabees.
A Navy Seabee is a member of the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions. The name comes from a phonetic pronunciation of the letters “CB” for Construction Battalion. Established on March 5, 1942, their official motto is “Construimus, Batuimus” — Latin for “We Build, We Fight.”
After completing training at the Naval Training Center in Sampson, N.Y., in December 1944, Conrad was sent to U.S.-occupied Okinawa, Japan, where the Allied forces were preparing for an invasion of mainland Japan.
He was on Okinawa when word spread that Japan had surrendered.
“I remember that well,” he said, smiling at the thought. “When they surrendered, the whole hell broke loose. They were shooting shells up in the air — anything that would make a rocket.”
As a Navy Seabee, Conrad wasn’t assigned to a ship but to a base on the island, where U.S. forces were bracing for what many believed would be a bloody assault on mainland Japan.
“I thought we were going to be on an invasion of Japan,” he said. “But with them two (atomic) bombs going off, they decided to give up — which they probably wouldn’t have.”
Conrad sat behind a table displaying his Seabees uniform — which he hadn’t worn in 80 years — and stacks of letters he wrote and received during the war. Visitors paused to admire the pristine condition of the uniform.
“This is wonderful,” one said.
Conrad laughed: “I didn’t like wearing this too much. It was pretty hot.”
Nearby, his great‑niece Nadine Blair pointed out a photograph of Conrad and his brothers, all of whom served in the Navy.
Younger generation
The event also drew younger generations determined to preserve the stories of veterans like Conrad.
One of them was Tyler Boland, 22, who has interviewed hundreds of World War II veterans for his YouTube channel, Keeping History Alive, and his Facebook page by the same name. Boland, who graduated in the spring from Albright College, helped the organizers get in contact with the area veterans.
James Papalia, 11, interviews WWII veterans during a program honoring the anniversary of VJ Day at the McGlinn Conference Center at the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Another, even younger member was 11‑year‑old James Papalia of Lacey, N.J., a historian, author, speaker and podcaster who has already published a series of children’s historical‑fiction adventure books. Papalia moved from table to table with his father, Frank, and his 8‑year‑old sister, Emily, gathering stories before giving a presentation during the luncheon program.
“It’s keeping veterans’ stories alive and making sure my generation remembers what they did for our country,” Papalia said. “They’re just so special.”
He is already working on his next book — a Vietnam War adventure inspired by his grandfather, a Silver Star and Purple Heart recipient.
“It’s me and my papa,” he said. “I travel through time and go back to different eras.”
His father said the books and podcast are rooted in the real veterans James has met.
“It’s really him telling the stories of the people he’s met,” Frank Papalia said. “He works hard on it.”
Frank Stellar, 101, talks about his World War II experiences during a program honoring veterans on the anniversary of VJ Day at the McGlinn Conference Center at the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
An edition of Stars and Stripes from Aug. 15, 1945, announcing the end of World War II is displayed during a program honoring veterans on the anniversary of VJ Day at the McGlinn Conference Center at the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)