The Veterans History Project

The Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

The project is primarily an oral history program that collects and preserves the first-hand interviews of America's wartime veterans.  Veterans History Project relies on volunteers, both individuals and organizations, throughout the nation to contribute veterans’ stories to VHP.  In addition to audio- and video-recorded interviews, VHP accepts memoirs, collections of original photographs and letters, diaries, maps, and other historical documents from World War I through current conflicts.

The United States Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000. The authorizing legislation (Public Law 106-380) was sponsored by Representatives Ron Kind, Amo Houghton, and Steny Hoyer in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senators Max Cleland and Chuck Hagel in the U.S. Senate.  It received unanimous support in both chambers before being signed into law by the President.

(Source: Library of Congress)