May 14, 2010

(PITTSBURGH, PA) -- Today, students at Franklin Regional High School and U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04) gave 18 western Pennsylvania veterans the opportunity to share their stories of service as part of the Veterans History Project. More than thirty students helped conduct on-camera interviews with the veterans about their military service. Each of these interviews will now be submitted to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. and will become part of the United States’ permanent archives.

“Today’s taping of the Veterans History Project at Franklin Regional High School was a great success,” Congressman Altmire said. “It was clear that the students put a great deal of effort into preparing for their interviews, and I hope that they were as inspired as I was to hear these local heroes’ stories. I want to thank each of these veterans for serving their country with honor and sharing their stories with us.”

The Veterans History Project was established in 2000 and is the largest oral history project in United States history. Visitors can watch all of the interviews collected through the Veterans History Project by visiting the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Any veteran who would like to participate in a future taping of the Veterans History Project can contact Congressman Altmire’s office at 724-226-1304.

Congressman Altmire is a strong advocate for America’s veterans. To date, six different legislative initiatives Altmire introduced to help veterans and military families have been signed into law. Altmire’s laws will guarantee that wounded warriors receive their full enlistment bonuses, help veterans successfully start and run small businesses, improve treatment for traumatic brain injuries, extend the Family Medical Leave Act to help military families deal with issues arising from deployment, and more.