At 101 years old, Conway resident Floyd Brantley has lived through the Great Depression, World War II and decades of change. Now, he is helping preserve that history by sharing his firsthand experiences for a documentary interview project.

Brantley served in the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years, including service as a Navy corpsman. In an October 22 report by KARK journalist Kathryn Thornberry, he recalled receiving notice that he would be sent to war when he was only 18 and still attending high school.

A personal story of service and loss

His memories include a painful family loss: Brantley said his brother had been killed two years before he received that notice. His reflections also take audiences back to his childhood during the Great Depression and the experiences that shaped his life beyond military service.

Filmmakers travel from Ohio to Conway

Josh Scott and his wife, Heather, traveled from Ohio to interview Brantley for Memoirs of World War II, a nonprofit film series devoted to recording veterans' firsthand accounts.

Scott explained to KARK that hearing directly from people who experienced the war adds emotional and historical depth that cannot be reproduced by secondhand accounts.

Although Brantley has told his story many times over the years, he acknowledged that speaking before others can still make him nervous.

When the interview may be available

According to the October 22 report, Josh Scott expected the completed interview to be posted within the following couple of months. A specific release date had not been announced as of that report.

Why this Conway story matters

Oral-history projects preserve not just the broad events of a war, but the voices, family histories and everyday details of people who lived through it. Brantley's interview will help future generations understand both the sacrifices of military service and the long lives of those who returned.

Reporting basis: Kathryn Thornberry's October 22, 2026 KARK report, “World War II veteran shares his stories in Conway for short film series.”