Event Details

Lunchbox Lecture: Brothers in Arms

Promotional image for Nebraska History Museum Lunch Box Lectures featuring Kevin Callahan's book "Brothers in Arms," scheduled for 12 PM–1 PM on 12/16/25. Free event.

Lunchbox Lecture: Brothers in Arms

Author Kevin M. Callahan shares the unforgettable WWII stories of Nebraska brothers who served—and fell—together.

Join us at the Nebraska History Museum at noon on December 16, as author Kevin M. Callahan discusses his book, Brothers in Arms: Remembering Brothers Buried Side by Side in American World War II Cemeteries.

Callahan’s work uncovers the extraordinary sacrifices of siblings who served—and fell—together during World War II, including two sets of Nebraska brothers whose journeys began just 15 miles apart: the Pieper twins of Creston and the Koziol brothers of Tarnov. In this talk, he will be talking about the history of American military cemeteries, the tradition of burying brothers side by side, and highlighting the stories of these brave brothers and the families they left behind.

*Brothers in Arms will be available for purchase before and after the program.

Event admission is free. LNKTV will record the lecture and make it available to the public.

Special thanks to the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation for providing funding for this event and the recording to broadcast on LNKTV.

Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation Logo

About Kevin M. Callahan

A man with curly gray hair smiles at an outdoor event, with several people and a white canopy in the background.Callahan is the author of Brothers in Arms: Remembering Brothers Buried Side by Side in American World War II Cemeteries (July 2020). Kevin grew up in Elgin, Illinois and, in 1991, received a B.A. in History from Yale University, where he also played football. After graduation, while backpacking through Europe, Kevin visited the American cemetery at Normandy and was struck by both the beauty of the grounds and the sacrifice of so many. In 2009, Kevin visited the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Italy with his wife and three young sons. Walking among the gravestones, they came across a pair of brothers buried side by side. He found the sight of the two brothers resting forever together to be especially poignant. It inspired him to find and tell the stories of all brothers buried side by side in American World War II cemeteries. Kevin traveled to 35 states to meet with surviving family members of these brothers to collect photos, artifacts, and memories. The book includes profiles of 72 sets of brothers and includes over 700 original photographs and other artifacts. Kevin also has an MBA from the MIT Sloan School and a Master’s in International Affairs from the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs. He lives in Rowayton, Connecticut with his wife, three sons, and two dogs.

Help Shape History

Become a Member

Being a member is the easiest way to be involved in our mission to preserve and share our state's rich history. Find out how!

Volunteer

Volunteers work with History Nebraska staff members to support our mission

Start Your Career

Interested in joining the History Nebraska team? Keep an eye on job listings!

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Director Daryl Bohac. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.