For Memorial Day Preserve Your Veteran's Story
Nan Barnes
As we move into Memorial Day weekend it 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.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
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 always happy to help you preserve your veteran’s story.