A great way to learn about veterans and their wartime experiences is through the Veterans History Project.
What is the Veteran’s History Project?
The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.
Veterans, their families, researchers and others submit information that is kept online at the Library of Congress. Civilians who were actively involved in supporting war efforts (such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, etc.) are also invited to share their stories.
How do I learn about veterans?
- Through personal narratives featuring audio- and video-taped interviews as well as written memoirs
- Through correspondence letters, postcards, victory mail (V-mail) and personal diaries
- Through visual materials such as drawings, photographs and scrapbooks
How can I record a veterans’ story?
- Interview veterans at your next family reunion.
- Interview mothers, fathers and grandparents on their days of honor.
- Gather wartime love letters, photo collections, memoirs and journals.
- Interview military spouses on their day of honor.
- Visit retirement communities, senior centers and/or VA hospitals and conduct interviews.
- Get additional tips here.
To learn more, to participate and to submit information please access the Veterans History Project online brochure. Included is a field kit on how to conduct and preserve an interview of a veteran as well as memoir guidelines for writing your own account of your wartime experience.
