Charley Valera
Author, Filmmaker
Hey, you found me!
This is mission control for everything I’m writing, filming, and shouting about: new books, live events, documentary premieres, videos, and the occasional unhinged Facebook rant.
Pull up a chair, stick around, and please holler if you need me.
THE BOOKS
My Father's War: Memories from Our Honored WWII Soldiers
“Valera always believed his father had no war stories to tell… until forgotten roll calls revealed a painful, hidden past.
That moment changed everything.
He began interviewing other veterans, desperate to
capture their truths before they were lost forever.
The result: 18 unforgettable voices from every U.S. military branch and both theaters, speaking with complete honesty about the war they lived.
This is My Father’s War.”
Personalized signed copies now
$24.99 Hardcovers
$19.99 Softcovers
Free shipping in the US.
The Documentary
This documentary is not another battlefield recreation. It is nine intimate, unflinching portraits— some familiar faces weathered by time, voices cracking with memory as they sometimes stare into another time long ago—preserved so their children, grandchildren, and generations who will never meet them can look them in the eye and hear, in their own words, what it was really like. This is My Father’s War the stories they carried home, the ones they almost took to their graves, and the promise that they will never be forgotten.
Help their stories reach theaters, classrooms, and communities—forever.
A MILITARY MUSTANG
At 17, John W. Arens patrolled the deadly North Atlantic convoys as a Merchant Marine in World War II. Drafted as an Army Ranger in Korea, he later enlisted in the Navy for Vietnam and finally stood watch in the mine-strewn waters of the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm. Four wars. Four decades. Three branches of service. Starting as a high-school dropout enlisted man, he fought his way up to commissioned officer—a true "Military Mustang," one of the rarest warriors America ever produced. This is the unforgettable story of a man who kept going back until the job was done.Personalized signed copies $19.99.
Free shipping in the US.
MEDIA
CONTACT
EPK (Press Kit)
A WWII veteran’s son, believing his father had no stories to tell, sets out to interview other veterans before their memories are lost forever. Their powerful firsthand accounts reveal the daily struggles, sacrifices, and unfiltered realities of life during World War II.
FILM INFO
Runtime: 80 Minutes
Genre: Documentary / History / Military
Rating: NR (Recommended 13+)
Country: USA
Language: English
Director's Statement
As the son of a World War II veteran, I grew up believing my father had no stories to tell about the war. Like many veterans of his generation, he rarely spoke about his experiences. Only later did I realize how much history had gone unspoken — and that countless families shared the same regret of never asking the questions before it was too late.That realization inspired me to begin interviewing World War II veterans in 2015. What started as a book project eventually evolved into a documentary preserving the firsthand memories of nine veterans from every branch of the U.S. military and both theaters of war.My Father’s War is not simply about battles or military strategy. It is about ordinary young men asked to endure extraordinary circumstances, and the lifelong memories they carried with them. Through these candid interviews, the veterans reflect on survival, fear, sacrifice, brotherhood, and the emotional weight of returning home after war.Most of these men have since passed away, making their stories even more important to preserve. My hope is that this film encourages families to ask questions, listen carefully, and remember those whose voices may soon be lost to history.
–– Charley Valera
