All Americans can record the story of veterans in their lives

November 11, 8:22 AMArizona Rural Headlines ExaminerTrudy Schuett

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Charles Rodriguez in uniform [1942]. His story is here. Photo courtesy of Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 866 on November 3, 2009, to designate National Veterans History Project Week "to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our Nation in times of war and conflict."

Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) and Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) submitted the resolution, which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Similar resolutions were also passed in 2005 and 2006.

"As Veterans Day approaches on November 11th, this resolution is a reminder and a call to action for all Americans to record the story of the veterans in their lives," said Veterans History Project (VHP) Director Bob Patrick. "A new Field Kit Companion Video is posted on the VHP home page, and it explains how volunteers can interview veterans following VHP guidelines."

The Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, is the world's preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled collections and integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Many of the Library’s rich resources and treasures may also be accessed through the Library’s website, and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.

The Veterans History Project was created in 2000 by Congress as a national documentation program of the American Folklife Center to record, preserve and make accessible the first-hand remembrances of American wartime veterans from World War I through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

Approximately 66,000 individual stories comprise the collection to date. The project relies on volunteers to record veterans’ remembrances using guidelines accessible at www.loc.gov/vets/. Volunteer interviewers may request information at vohp@loc.gov or the toll-free message line at (888) 371-5848. Subscribe to the VHP RSS to receive periodic updates of VHP news.