D-Day veterans' stories live on through AI at the National World War II Museum

Thursday, June 6, 2024, marks 80 years since Allied armies stormed the beaches of Normandy, France during World War II on D-Day. 

The number of veterans who served in the war is shrinking by the year. 

But The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, is helping some of their stories live on through artificial intelligence.

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Eighteen World War II veterans are part of a new exhibit called "Voices From The Front" that opened to the public in March.

It allows people to ask questions and get real responses from the veterans — one of whom was there the day of the invasion.

Tolley Fletcher is a veteran of World War II. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17 years old shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

At age 19, he was aboard a ship located outside the Normandy beaches. 

He was stationed at Utah Beach, one of the five landing areas.

"On the morning of the invasion, you could look up and as far as you could see in front and back of you and sideways, there wasn’t anything but airplanes," Fletcher told Fox News.

"I was at my gun station, and I don’t mind admitting I had the shakes to some extent. I think it would bother most to some extent. Basically, you know there is a possibility of getting killed."

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Fletcher said the waters were rough that day, making it hard for soldiers to reach the shore.

Still, he said, "I’ve been asked a few times if we had any doubt if we would win the war. And I don’t know anyone that doubted it, not on our side anyway."

People visiting The National World War II Museum can now hear Fletcher's story in his own words.

Peter Crean, vice president of education and access at the museum, said Fletcher and 17 other veterans were interviewed and had their responses recorded.

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"The [interviews] were shot volumetrically with nine cameras surrounding them, and we asked them, for about a two-day period, more than 1,000 questions," Crean said.

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The system uses AI to match any question to a real response given from the veteran.

"A hundred years from now, somebody's children or grandchildren will be able to come here and actually have a conversation with a World War II veteran," Crean said. 

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"That’s the primary source material that is going to the source, and it’s becoming, of course, ever so important as that generation is beginning to fade from history."

Crean said the AI technology is constantly learning from peoples' questions — making each response more accurate to the question asked and faster after each use.