Preserve a Veteran’s Story
Nan Barnes
Veterans Day, November 11, is a time for all us to remember and honor those who served their country, and to reflect on how that service impacts their lives, and ours.
Are you are a veteran? We urge you to tell your story. If you know a veteran, we urge you to encourage and assist them in making sure that their story is preserved.
Over the past several years there has been an increase in awareness of the importance of creating records of the experiences of our military veterans. There are several nationwide efforts underway to collect these stories. The most ambitious is probably the Veterans History Project being conducted by the Library of Congress.
The Project, “…collects, preserves and makes available the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.”
Veterans’ stories can be told through:
• Personal Narratives – audio and video taped interviews and written memoirs (our favorite)
• Correspondence – letters, postcards, v-mail, and personal diaries
• Visual Materials – photographs, drawings, and scrapbooks
Similar efforts by the American Veterans Center and the National Veterans History Archival Institute are also underway. Individual military services have veterans their own story initiatives too.
At Stories To Tell, we are participating through the Association of Personal Historians, which is a partner in the Veterans History Project. If you, or your veteran, needs help getting his or her story told, get in touch and we’ll help you to gather those invaluable stories.
Are you are a veteran? We urge you to tell your story. If you know a veteran, we urge you to encourage and assist them in making sure that their story is preserved.
Over the past several years there has been an increase in awareness of the importance of creating records of the experiences of our military veterans. There are several nationwide efforts underway to collect these stories. The most ambitious is probably the Veterans History Project being conducted by the Library of Congress.
The Project, “…collects, preserves and makes available the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.”
Veterans’ stories can be told through:
• Personal Narratives – audio and video taped interviews and written memoirs (our favorite)
• Correspondence – letters, postcards, v-mail, and personal diaries
• Visual Materials – photographs, drawings, and scrapbooks
Similar efforts by the American Veterans Center and the National Veterans History Archival Institute are also underway. Individual military services have veterans their own story initiatives too.
At Stories To Tell, we are participating through the Association of Personal Historians, which is a partner in the Veterans History Project. If you, or your veteran, needs help getting his or her story told, get in touch and we’ll help you to gather those invaluable stories.