The Veterans History Project: In Their Own Words

Did you ever wonder about the routine and more dramatic wartime experiences of a great-grandparent or other family member? Did you ever wish that they had made an audio or video recording of their memories in their own words? Hundreds of American veterans and war workers from all branches, units, and ranks, serving in the same locations as your family members, have done that and created a lasting legacy through the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.  Authorized in 2000 by an Act of Congress, the project continues today.

Memorial Day weekend is a great time to explore the Veterans History Project collection at the Library of Congress website.  At this page, anyone can search the Project database for interviews, photos, and other materials, limiting the search by war, service branch, rank, and other criteria. Search terms can further limit interviewees to geographic locations and service units. Finally, restricting a search to those taped interviews that have been digitized, and/or include a transcript, produces results that are immediately available to enjoy online.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat