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Category: Oral History

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

“Going Where We’re Needed Most”: Recruitment of Military Women Over the Decades

Posted by: Megan Harris

The following is a blog post by Lisa Gomez and Sam Meier, Junior Fellows working for the Veterans History Project (VHP) this summer. To read their previous blog posts from this summer, go here and here. Lisa’s flashback to 2015: I have a vivid memory of listening to Ashton Carter, then-Secretary of Defense, announce that the …

An unidentified Marine sits in her truck.

Crossing Milestones for Female Marines: Examining the Maria C. Villescas Collection

Posted by: Megan Harris

The following is a guest post by Sam Meier, a Library of Congress Junior Fellow working with the Veterans History Project (VHP) this summer. For decades, women’s military careers have been constrained by the assumption that they are less physically capable than men. Even today, those who oppose complete gender integration often assert that gender-based …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Missions within VHP’s Female Veterans Collections

Posted by: Megan Harris

The following is a guest post by Lisa Gomez, a Library of Congress Junior Fellow working with the Veterans History Project (VHP) this summer. This summer, while serving as an LC Junior Fellow, I’ve had the honor and opportunity to explore the fascinating collections of photographs and oral histories archived by the Veterans History Project. …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Researcher Spotlight: Mary Claire Phillips

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest blog post by Mary Claire Phillips, a recent graduate of University of Texas at Austin. Phillips utilized Veterans History Project (VHP) collections in her journal article and honors thesis examining the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) servicewomen during World War II. Happy Pride! This month marks the …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Who’s that Lady?

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

It might have been her eyes. Perhaps it was that hint of a knowing smile. Or maybe it was the culmination of it all—torso leaning in, chin on fist, legs crossed, nails polished and hat tilted. Whatever it was, it grabbed my attention when I first saw the sepia-toned image several years ago. Its subject …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

VHP’s Newest Online Exhibit: “Equality of Treatment and Opportunity”

Posted by: Megan Harris

In 1942, Stewart Fulbright was a man on a mission: he desperately wanted to become a pilot in the Army Air Corps. Just shy of the weight requirement of 125 pounds, he gulped down half a dozen bananas on his way to his physical exam, only to find out that a lengthy written exam was …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Community Service Hero: Veterans Heritage Project Continues to Shine

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest post by Barbara Hatch, Veterans Heritage Project Founder and Program Director. The program is based in Arizona. To learn more about this organization, read our 2016 post about it here. In 1998, students in my history classroom had seen the movie Saving Private Ryan and wanted to separate fact from …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

By the Numbers: Crowdsourcing a Veterans History Project

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest blog post by Owen Rogers, a Liaison Specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP). This is the final post in a six-part Women’s History Month series. Through VHP’s online database, we learn about the women veterans who make history. What about the women who record it? In addition to the …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

‘Nevertheless, She Persisted’ : Saluting Military Healers

Posted by: Kerry Ward

In honor of Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate historic women’s achievements, the Veterans History Project (VHP) presents a six-part series of blog posts highlighting the many amazing accomplishments of the women who bravely volunteered for our Armed Services. The following is the fifth post in this series. This year’s National Women’s History Month theme …