‘Beb & Bob | Collateral Damage’ is een audioverhaal dat de geschiedenis tot leven brengt via de stemmen van twee families en hun perspectieven op de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Beb was een jonge Rotterdamse die leefde onder de nazibezetting. Bob was eerste luitenant bij de Amerikaanse luchtmacht en vloog missies boven Europa. Tientallen jaren later ontmoetten hun kleindochters – Lisa Koolhoven en Kristen Hayford – elkaar toevallig in Nederland. Toen ze elkaar leerden kennen, waren zij verrast over wat zij bleken te delen: hun beide families waren gevormd door dezelfde oorlog, maar dan op heel verschillende manieren.

bron: Museum Rotterdam

Met dit project verkennen we de menselijke kant van de geschiedenis – we erkennen de verwoesting door ‘collateral damage’ die burgers moesten doorstaan, maar proberen ook de ervaringen te begrijpen van de jonge militairen die alles riskeerden om een ​​einde te maken aan het naziregime.

Onze reis combineert persoonlijke verhalen van Amerikaanse piloten, interviews met overlevenden van het ‘Vergeten bombardement’ van 31 maart 1943 en materiaal dat Beb erover verzamelde, gesprekken met historici en Bobs originele brieven uit de oorlogstijd aan zijn moeder. Samen schetsen deze stemmen een krachtig beeld van verlies, moed en onverwachte verbondenheid door generaties heen.

Partners

‘Beb & Bob | Collateral Damage’ is an audio story that brings history to life through the voices of two families on opposite sides of World War II.

Beb was a young Dutch civilian living under Nazi occupation. Bob was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, flying missions over Europe. Decades later, their granddaughters — Lisa Koolhoven and Kristen Hayford — met in the Netherlands by chance. As they got to know each other, they discovered a surprising shared thread: both of their families had been shaped by the same war, in very different ways.

Interviewing experts: military historian Wouter Hagemeijer

Through this project, we explore the human side of history — acknowledging the devastation of collateral damage endured by civilians, while also trying to understand the experiences of the young military men who risked everything to end the Nazi regime.

Our journey weaves together firsthand accounts from U.S. pilots, interviews with survivors of the ‘Forgotten Bombing’ of March 31, 1943, and material Beb collected about it, conversations with historians, and Bob’s original wartime letters to his mother. Together, these voices paint a powerful picture of loss, courage, and unexpected connection across generations.

Kristen Hayford believes the best stories are the ones that travel—with thought and with purpose. She founded The Other West Coast Productions as a home for narrative work that moves. After a decade spent in the U.S. media landscape—from Washington to Los Angeles—she now runs her studio from The Hague, crafting high-touch campaigns and assembling fluid teams for clients with compelling stories. Her previous roles include in-house work with POLITICO and 89.3 LAist, NPR’s flagship West Coast station. Her projects have been recognized by Spotify, Apple Podcasts, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, and have received recognition from The Webby Awards, the International Documentary Association, the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, and the New York Festivals Radio Awards.

Lisa Koolhoven is a Dutch historian with 25 years of experience in bringing people together on societal impactful topics – such as the future of care, inclusiveness and heritage – working for governmental institutions in The Netherlands, NGO’s and social entrepreneurs world wide. Her goal is to enlarge compassion and collective wisdom, with personal stories as her weapon, hosting these in written interviews published in Dutch newspapers, magazines and books, and events such as dialogues towards bridging differences and cycling tours for children around the forgotten bombing of Rotterdam. 

Marco Raaphorst is an established Dutch producer, musician, and sound designer with more than 30 years of experience. He currently works with NRC Vandaag, a daily news podcast that ranks among the top five most-streamed podcasts in the Netherlands. Based in The Hague—where Lisa and Kristen live—Marco will lead the full production of our Dutch episode, ensuring it captures the local voice and perspective at the heart of our story. Marco will also create original music for both our Dutch and American episodes. 

Zachary Goldberg is a podcast producer, sound designer, and director. His work includes the Ambie-Award-nominated documentaries Women of Marvel and The Nightingale of Iran, as well as the hit series Childish: The Podcast Musical, which has been featured in The New York Times and on BBC Radio. Between editing sessions, Zachary teaches Sound Design for Podcasts to graduate students at the Yale School of Drama. He will oversee post-production, adding to the final listening experience.

Kitty Eisele is a veteran NPR producer, serving as Senior Editor of Morning Edition. Over her 40-year career in radio journalism, she has produced thousands of stories for American listeners. She won an Emmy Award for Ken Burns’ Civil War series. She also produced a history of the U.S. Congress for PBS. Most recently, Kitty created her own series, Twenty-Four Seven, about caring for aging parents. She currently teaches journalism and writing at Georgetown University and will be directing the script for American audiences.

We komen graag in contact! Zijn er vragen of is er een verhaal over oorlog om te delen?
Mail Lisa Koolhoven met Nederlandse vragen/verhalen:
info@verhalenpodium.nl

We love to hear from you! Is there something you would like to ask or maybe you have your own story about war to share?
Please send an email in English to Kristen Hayford:
kristen@otherwestcoast.nl