Our nation loses 1,500 veterans every day. With each loss, America also loses these men and women's stories of courage and their memories of comradeship and sacrifice. In October 2000, Congress recognized the urgency of collecting wartime memories by passing legislation to create the Veterans History Project. Beginning November 11, 2002, Chattanooga area veterans will be invited to participate in this important national effort.

Coordinated by the Library of Congress and its American Folklife Center, the project's mission is to collect and preserve the memories, accounts and documents of war veterans from World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars. All ranks in all branches of the service - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine - are invited to participate, as well as those involved in home front activities in support of the armed forces.

All participating veterans will be recorded on videotape. Along with these oral histories, the Library of Congress welcomes donations of letters, photographs, diaries, maps, drawings and other documents. The Library will compile a comprehensive, searchable catalog, and the collection will be available to today's generation and future Americans who have much to learn from those who served.

In Chattanooga, Channel 3 Eyewitness News, First Tennessee and Erlanger have formed a 2-1/2 year partnership to ensure local veterans are part of this effort. Channel 3 Eyewitness News Anchor Cindy Sexton will lead this local endeavor to encourage area veterans to share their stories. The local project will be launched on Monday, November 11, 2002, Veteran's Day, at noon at the Erlanger Medical Mall, with Congressman Zach Wamp; Special Guest, Librarian of Congress Dr. James Billington; local dignitaries and representatives from local veteran's groups in attendance.

Local veterans will be invited to call (423) 778-VETS to schedule appointments for videotaping and to bring in their personal mementos from their time in service to their country. Videotaping sessions will be conducted in a convenient location at the Erlanger Baroness Campus on 3rd Street. Channel 3 Eyewitness News will ship each of the taped stories and any donated items to the American Folklife Center for cataloging where they will become part of a permanent collection housed at the Library of Congress. Each participating veteran will be mailed a copy of their taped story. In addition, Channel 3 Eyewitness News will air weekly stories on some of the local veterans who volunteer to share their memories. Additional information about the Veteran's History Project will be available at Channel3 Eyewitness news, all Chattanooga and Cleveland locations of First Tennessee and all the Erlanger campuses.