Veterans History Project

The Veterans History Project is a cooperative effort between the United States Congress and the Library of Congress to collect the personal accounts and oral histories of as many veterans as possible so that future generations of Americans can have the opportunity to hear those stories directly from the mouths of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen.  This is not only an important project to ensure that we never forget the service and sacrifice of these men and women, but is also an invaluable tool for historians as they research and write about their experiences during war time.

You can help me in many ways with this project.  First and foremost, if you are a veteran and interested in including your narrative in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, please Contact Me so that I can schedule you for an interview and transmit your personal story to the Veterans History Project.  In addition to these oral histories, the Library is collecting memoirs, photographs, letters, diaries, and other historical documents from World War I through current conflicts.  

Second, you can join my team to conduct and record the stories of our veterans.  My staff will provide training on how to carry out the interviews and the types of questions the Library of Congress suggests asking.  You can Contact Me to schedule a time for training and to begin the interviewing process.  This is not only a great project for veterans’ organizations, but also for student and scout groups.  

The importance of this project was made clear to me earlier this month when I looked out over the hundreds of veterans who attended Veterans Day ceremonies at Bay Pines.  I know that each of those men and women have a story to tell about their service and that if we do not take the time to record those stories, they will be lost for future generations.  Having had the opportunity over the past year to join with a number of World War II veterans from Pinellas County and the State of Florida as they have traveled to our nation’s Capital on Honor Flights to visit the World War II Memorial, I have heard them retell their compelling and heroic stories.  These are stories that we must preserve and remember because they emphasize what makes our nation great and the tremendous price so many have paid to protect our freedom and liberty.

The Veterans History Project is a public and searchable database.  You can find information about veterans by name, by unit, and by service area.