Join Basque Scholar, Dr. Pedro J. Oiarzabal, for a fascinating lecture on the role of Basques of Nevada during World War II on Wednesday, August 6th at the Sierra View Library. Many thanks to the Nevada Historical Society for bringing this lecture to our community!

Summary of Talk: 
The Fighting Basques: Memory of World War II is an international research project by the Sancho de Beurko History Association since 2015. This presentation will focus on the results of their study in Nevada.

In the United States, enlistment was compulsory for all males between 18 and 45 years of age, allowing the identification and methodical study of a whole generation of Basque immigrants and descendants up to a second degree, including the women who enlisted in the different branches of the army. In this way, the project aims to rescue memories of that generation, while enabling rigorous analysis of the migration and settlement process of these individuals and their families since the mid-19th century.

Sancho de Beurko History Association is a not-for-profit organization. The Fighting Basques: Memory of World War II project is under the co-direction of Dr. Pedro J. Oiarzabal and Guillermo Tabernilla. This project aims to explore and shed light on the importance of Basques of the Homeland, and of the Diaspora's contributions to the Allies’ war effort (including Australia, France, the former Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America) during World War II.

Biography:
Dr. Pedro J. Oiarzabal was born and raised in Bilbao and has spent much of his life between the Basque Country, Ireland, and the United States. He holds a PhD in Basque Studies-Political Science from the University of Nevada, Reno, a MPhil in Economics and Social Sciences from Queen's University of Belfast (Northern Ireland), and a BA in History from the University of Deusto (Bilbao). He has been the Director of the “Fighting Basques: Memory of World War II” program since 2019. His research examines diaspora and migrant communities’ interaction with information and communication technologies in the Basque case. He also specializes in Oral History, Memory Studies, and Digital Humanities.

Basque Project Website:  https://nabasque.eus/wwii_memorial.html