Veterans History Project to collect and preserve local veterans' experiences
for the Library of Congress and the Nashville Public Library

NASHVILLE-"As the Volunteer State, Tennessee has sent many brave men and women to battle to defend peace and freedom and it's important that our children know the stories of these heroes. I'm honored to be standing here today with some of those veterans and to be helping preserve their stories for future generations," U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper said at an event in his office today to launch the Fifth Congressional District's Veterans History Project.

Cooper is partnering with the Library of Congress and the Nashville Public Library to collect, compile, and preserve veterans' oral histories. Throughout the summer, war veterans can schedule time with Cooper's office to record their own service experiences. They can also donate any written materials from their time in the war such as journals, maps, and photos. At the end of the project, Cooper will deliver the interviews and documents to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. for cataloging and archiving. The stories and materials will also be part of the Nashville Public Library's Veterans History Project. Students, researchers, family members, and future generations will be able to access the oral histories for years to come.

Veterans from all ranks in all branches of service are invited to participate, as well as those civilians who played a role in supporting the armed services on the home front. The project seeks stories and experiences from World War I, World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars, as well as the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Of the 19 million war veterans living in the United States, we lose 1,600 of them everyday, including approximately 1,000 World War II veterans. In 2000, the U.S. Congress recognized the urgent need to collect the stories and experiences of our war veterans while they are still with us and created the Veterans History Project. President Clinton signed it into law on October 27, 2000. The project calls for the collection and preservation of oral histories, along with documentary materials of America's war veterans and those who served in support of them.

To schedule time to share your story, or to learn more about the Veterans History Project, contact Cooper's office at (615) 736-5295 or go to www.cooper.house.gov.

###