CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The stories of just more than 680 West Virginia military veterans out of the thousands who’ve served are included among the roughly 111,000 collected from across the U.S. in the first 20 years of the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project.
“I think West Virginia can do better than that,” said Col. Karen Lloyd, U.S. Army (Retired) and director of the Veterans History Project.
The Veterans History Project collects, preserves and makes accessible the wartime stories of U.S. military veterans for future generations by training volunteers to interview veterans from all backgrounds, experiences and walks of life in their own communities.
“You get that personal touch. You get that local recognition for veterans who served our country and made a difference,” Lloyd said.
“Some of the tales are harrowing and some of them are humorous but, the fact of the matter is, these are the stories that researchers and documentarians and filmmakers and scholars and even members of Congress are all interested in having.”
The results of the interviews, up to now, make up a publicly-accessible and searchable database, available HERE, of personal stories from veterans starting with World War One and continuing through the most recent conflicts.
In 2016, the Veterans History Project was expanded to also include Gold Star families, those who’ve lost loved ones in military service.
Such authenticity matters, said Lloyd.
“If you think about books and movies, it isn’t the war that people go to the movie for, they actually go for the story,” she told MetroNews.
Free workshops for groups on how to conduct the veteran interviews are available through the Veterans History Project.
A field kit with suggested questions and other tips can also be viewed and downloaded at www.loc.gov/vets or those interested in participating can call 1-888-371-5848.
“This is a perfect opportunity, over the Thanksgiving holiday when families gather, to really ask about what their family member’s service was like or what their community service was like,” Lloyd said.
In addition to oral and written histories, the Veterans History Project collections include original photographs, letters, military documents, two-dimensional artwork, diaries, journals and other veteran correspondence.
“What’s important to us is volunteers, your listeners, reaching out to the veterans in their lives and communities so that we don’t lose these precious stories, these amazing memories,” Lloyd said.