Several dozen World War II veterans are headed to Washington, D.C. this week, giving the public a rare chance to hear directly from the dwindling generation that fought the war 85 years ago. The American Veterans Center is holding its 29th Annual Veterans Conference & American Valor from Thursday through Saturday at the Navy Memorial and the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
According to the American Veterans Center, “several dozen veterans of World War II who served across the war” will join the weekend's events. A WJLA report on the event put the number at 36 World War II veterans, though that precise figure was not independently confirmed in the center's own announcement.
A Weekend Built Around the War's 85th Anniversary
The conference weekend includes a special “Celebration of a Generation,” honoring the World War II generation on the 85th anniversary of the war, per the organization's announcement. The American Veterans Center describes its broader mission as preserving and promoting the legacy and experiences of America's veterans and active-duty service members from World War II through today, and it identifies itself as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
This year's gathering is not limited to World War II veterans. The event's lineup also includes survivors of the 9/11 attacks, Medal of Honor recipients, Navy SEALs, and service members who took part in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, spanning what organizers describe as heroes across 85 years of American history.
Two Veterans Whose Stories Stand Out
Among the World War II veterans tied to this year's conference is Gene Metcalfe, who served with the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. Metcalfe was captured during the war after being listed as killed in action — the only member of his patrol who did not make it back from a shell blast, according to the Veterans Breakfast Club. He was not actually dead, the organization notes — he had instead become a prisoner of war.
Another veteran associated with the broader American Valor circuit is Andrew Bostinto, who earned the Bronze Star for his World War II service at a ceremony at the Revere Veterans of Foreign Wars Post last year, according to DVIDS. Bostinto also holds the distinction of being recognized as the world's oldest bodybuilder after competing in a bodybuilding competition at age 100, the same report states.
How Many WWII Veterans Are Still With Us
The exact number of living World War II veterans nationwide is itself a moving target, and sources disagree on the current total. The National WWII Museum, citing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, says 30,607 of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II were alive as of 2026 — fewer than 0.2% of everyone who served. The museum notes its annual projections are updated each September.
That figure differs from one cited a year earlier: in a 2025 WJLA report on the conference, American Veterans Center President Tim Holbert said, “Last I saw, there were about 40,000 in the US,” referring to living World War II veterans at that time. The discrepancy reflects different sources and reporting dates rather than a single agreed-upon count.
A Conference That Has Grown Over the Years
The American Veterans Center's conference has expanded considerably since its early years; the organization's own materials describe its 15th annual conference as having been held in Washington, D.C. from October 25 through 27, with registration open to the public. Last year's 28th Annual American Valor Heroes Conference featured more than 40 World War II veterans, including heroes from D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, and WJLA reported it was the first time that conference had been open to the public. That event was held across Friday and Saturday at the Omni Shoreham Hotel on Calvert Street Northwest.
Holbert has framed the event as more than a single weekend's programming. He has said it brings together American heroes and shares an aspirational American story, and that it aims to highlight stories that inspire Americans — remarks he connected to the fact that America turns 250 years old in 2026. With this year's conference landing on the 85th anniversary of World War II, the public's chance to meet veterans who lived it is, organizers suggest, increasingly rare.
