WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is joining forces with the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL), the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the Library of Congress to increase national awareness of the Veterans History Project.
“Future generations of Americans will benefit from this very important effort to preserve the oral histories of America’s wartime veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi. “With more than 1,100 World War II veterans dying each day, it is imperative that we act quickly to preserve the stories and experiences of wartime veterans. There is much to learn from those who have served.”
Women elected officials from every state and territory in the nation will serve as team leaders in NFWL’s “Heart to Heart” program to record interviews with veterans for presentation to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. VA will assist NFWL in locating veterans to be interviewed and will provide local public affairs support. DAV is encouraging its members to interview their fellow disabled veterans or to allow a volunteer to interview them.
Team leaders will focus on interviewing World War II veterans during the period Nov. 1, 2003, through Feb. 24, 2004. Afterwards, they will also interview veterans of Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf war, the war on terrorism and all other conflicts.
“With so many World War II veterans dying each day, these elected women will focus on collecting histories from this ‘greatest generation’ over the holiday season,” said NWFL President and CEO Robin Read.
“The DAV is proud to be an official partner in this important program. Our thanks go to the veterans who share their stories and the many volunteers across the country who record them to help preserve the legacy of America’s veterans and to ensure that their service and sacrifice will always be remembered,” said DAV National Commander Alan W. Bowers.
“Every veteran has his or her own war,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, “and each is custodian of a unique story and memories. The support of the Veterans History Project by VA, the NFWL and the DAV is most important because it will help reach out to veterans across the nation to ensure that this American story is told through thousands of different voices, thousands of different pictures and thousands of different memories.”
Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000. The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is collecting and preserving audio- and videotaped histories, along with documentary materials such as letters, diaries, maps, photographs and home movies. They will be available on-line for review by veterans, their families, researchers, historians and future generations of Americans.
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