Course detail: Finding the Forgotten: Lost Stories of Four American Soldiers

This class will examine three relatives of the instructor who served in the U.S. Army in World War I and II-and a fourth soldier (unrelated) who fought for the Confederacy. Each had a remarkable wartime story that had been largely forgotten. We'll see how in each case a single clue led to an understanding of their experiences and the sacrifices they endured, and a surprising discovery at the end of each search. 

Learn about the search for the forgotten story behind the photos, the letters, and the envelope to discover the "rest of the story" aspect. This class is not a full genealogical study, biographical work or military history but has aspects of each. Primarily, it is a glimpse into the process of discovering information with limited resources (online, archives, publications) when there's very little to start with or go on. Many records are lost or never existed, but enough remain that these four common "lost" soldiers are no longer entirely forgotten.

Instructor Bio: Kevin Boatwright is emeritus director of external affairs in the KU Office of Research. He has a bachelor's degree in English and master's degrees in journalism, history and higher education administration. He studied Canadian history at the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Manitoba, and is a past president of the Midwest Association for Canadian Studies.

Course Accessibility: Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend University of Kansas sponsored events. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in an event, please email lpe@ku.edu or call 913-897-8530 at least three weeks before the first day of the event.

 Session Information: OC25213F

Schedule: Every week on Thursday, starting on 06/12/25 and ending on 06/26/25
Times: 06:30pm-08:30pm CDT
In-Person : $50.00

Bulletin

Thank you for registering for this Osher in-person course. This class will meet at the Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility, 1515 St. Andrews Dr., Lawrence. We look forward to seeing you in class.

Instructors

Name Additional Resources
Kevin Boatright

Facility Detail

Osher Institute, St. Andrews Office Facility In Person
1515 St. Andrews Dr.
Lawrence, KS 66047

Cancellation Policy

A refund less a $5.00 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations made in writing prior to 7 days before the start of the event. After that time, no refunds will be made.