Veterans History Project allows people to share experiences

Veterans History Project allows people to share experiences

SAN ANTONIO (AFRNS) — The Veterans History Project collects and preserves the remembrances of American war veterans and civilian workers who supported them.  These collections of first-hand accounts are archived in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for use by researchers and to serve as an inspiration for generations to come.

The program is designed to preserve the legacies of America’s aging veterans who are dying at the rate of about 1,500 a day.

"Getting these oral histories now is important, because once they are gone, their stories are gone forever," said Steve Hollingshead from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Media Services Division. 

The project collects remembrances of veterans who served in World War I, World War II, the Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War (1990-1995), or Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts (2001-present).   Citizen civilians who actively supported war efforts (such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, defense contractors, etc.) are also invited to share their valuable stories. 

Interviews taped through the program go on file at the Library of Congress, where they are available for researchers, and the veteran gets a personal DVD copy, Mr. Hollingshead explained. 

But while the program initially focused on older veterans, Mr. Hollingshead said, he is increasingly seeing veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan participating in the project. 

The younger veterans’ stories are different from those of earlier generations, Mr. Hollingshead said.  They served in different wars, carrying out different missions and applying different kinds of warfare.  Their wounds are different today, with traumatic brain injuries and amputations more prevalent than in the past. 

But despite these differences, Mr. Hollingshead said, he sees a common thread among the veterans he interviews.  Whether they served in World War I or Operation Iraqi Freedom, or in some conflict in between, all recognize that "they were there, fighting for their country," he said.

"All of them love their country and are here for all the right reasons," Mr. Hollingshead said.  "The patriotism you see in these people is just phenomenal."

All Americans, including students and grandchildren, can participate in documenting the lives of the nation’s war veterans, Mr. Hollingshead said.

The history project relies on volunteers throughout the nation to collect veterans’ stories on behalf of the Library of Congress.  These stories are made available to researchers and the general public, both at the library in Washington and via the VHP Web site at http://www.loc.gov/vets/vets-home.html. 

The U.S. Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000.  The authorizing legislation (Public Law 106-380), sponsored by Representatives Ron Kind, Amo Houghton and Steny Hoyer in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Senators Max Cleland and Chuck Hagel in the U.S. Senate, received unanimous support and was signed into law by President Clinton in October 2000.  (Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service, contributed to this article.)