Thank a veteran this holiday season, participate in Veterans History Project Published Nov. 15, 2011 By Dr. Stephanie M. Smith AFFTC History Office EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Veterans History Project is looking for a few good stories -- personal accounts of American war veterans captured in print or on tape so future generations may hear directly from the veterans about their experiences and better understand the realities of war. Congress created the Veterans History Project in the Library of Congress in 2000. Its mission is to preserve and make available these personal stories, and it relies solely on volunteers to collect and submit them. No special training is required to contribute to the project. Anyone, even students in grades 10-12, can help to collect stories told by local veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Veterans History Project also welcomes the accounts of U.S. civilians who actively supported war efforts, such as workers in war industries on the home front (think Rosie the Riveter), workers for the United Service Organization, flight instructors or other like efforts. The project preserves audio- and videotaped narratives conducted with veterans, written memoirs or personal diaries kept by veterans, correspondence like letters, postcards, V-mail (aka Victory mail, American soldiers' mail microfilmed to save on shipping costs during World War II) and visual materials like photographs, drawings, cartoons, sketches, and scrapbooks. All materials collected go to the Veterans History Project within the Library of Congress for preservation. Stories and supporting papers are made available to the public for research within six months. The project's staff create a website for each veteran who contributes materials. This page includes service history and other information. Anyone can access the database at http://www.loc.gov/vets/ (click on the link to Search the Veterans Collections) to find out what materials are available. About five percent of the total collection, with photographs and narratives, is currently available online for research. The steps to follow to take part in documenting the history of a veteran's or war worker's contributions are simple. First, visit the Veterans History Project website (www.loc.gov/vets/) and download the Field Kit, or call their message line at 888-371-5848 to request one. The kit gives guidelines on how to conduct interviews, on what materials the project does and does not accept, and has all the forms you will need. Next, go online to the website to register the collection you want to submit. That lets the History Project's staff know you are planning to send in materials. Then record a veteran's story using a tape or digital audio recorder or video recorder, or help the veteran write a memoir of his or her experiences. Interviews must be at least 30 minutes long, but it's as easy as a simple conversation. Keep in mind that asking open-ended questions is best: ask "What can you tell me about . . . .?" instead of "Did you ever....?" That gives your interview subject the best opening for telling their own experience in their own words, rather than answering you with a quick yes or no. Then help the veteran collect photographs, letters, drawings, diaries, maps, etc. and other written and visual materials. Keep in mind that the Veterans History Project only accepts original photographs and documents, so make sure the veteran is ready to donate them. Make copies of everything you send for yourself and for the veteran. Complete the required forms, including one for biographical data, an audio or video log and release forms, which are included in the Field Kit. Assemble the forms and the items you are submitting, follow the instructions from the Library of Congress on mailing the items to them. If you are the descendant of a deceased veteran, you can still participate in having his or her story recorded. You may fill out the forms in the Field Kit and submit historical documents such as the veteran's collection of photographs, letters, diaries and memoirs. The contributions of individual veterans to American conflicts overseas, and of the civilians at home who supported them with war work, are a valuable source for understanding our history. Say thanks for their service this year with your participation in the Veterans History Project.