April 27, 2011

(PITTSBURGH, PA) -- Today, students at Mohawk High School and U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04) gave western Pennsylvania veterans the opportunity to share their stories of service as part of the Veterans History Project. Students conducted 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. to become part of the United States' permanent archives.

"My congressional district is home to tens of thousands of veterans, each of whom has a unique story to tell," Congressman Altmire said. "The students who participated in today's project did a great job of conducting these interviews and recording an important part of our nation's history. I hope that they were as inspired as I was to hear these local heroes' stories."

"This project has allowed us to both honor our veterans and enrich our students' lives," Patricia Fletcher, an English teacher at Mohawk High School who helped to coordinate the project, said. "Today, our students were able to sharpen their interview skills and learn firsthand about the sacrifices local veterans made to serve their country. I am confident that this is one history lesson that is going to stay with our students for a long time to come."

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, seven different legislative initiatives that Congressman Altmire introduced to help veterans and military families have been signed into law. Congressman Altmire's laws will guarantee that wounded warriors receive their full enlistment bonuses, help veterans successfully start and run small businesses, improve education benefits for National Guardsmen, and more. For additional information on Congressman Altmire's veterans work, click here.