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Category: Narratives

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

Bidding Blue Skies and Tailwinds to the Last of the Doolittle Raiders

Posted by: Kerry Ward

Just days shy of the 77th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, Lieutenant Colonel Richard “Dick” Cole, the sole surviving Doolittle Raider, flew west this morning. He was 103 years old. I had the great privilege of working with Cole at airshows and through veteran services. We laughed over him telling my father he was getting …

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

Reflections on the ‘Code Girls’ Reunion and My Mother’s Story

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest blog post by Anne Dowling, the daughter of World War II “Code Girl” Kathleen Bradley Delaney, and a guest at the “Code Girls” Reunion held at the Library of Congress on March 22, 2019. Click here to watch a recording of this historic event. The Reunion I attended the “Code …

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

The Ones You Love Most

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

Awesome friends. Good sports. Team players. Caring constituents. I could think of tons more ways to describe our faithful readers. But I will stop here and just say THANK YOU to everyone who answered our call to participate in the Veterans History Project’s bookmark image selection process. We have tallied all of the input that …

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

Herstory, ‘Crowded Wartime Washington’ and the Code Girls Reunion

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest blog post by Sally Sims Stokes, the daughter of World War II “Code Girl” Jean Ashby Sims. “Dear Library,” my mother begins the World War II memoir she completed in 2008 for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. This salutation was her way of responding, as if in a …

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A Sailor, a Nurse and a Kiss, on V-J Day

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest post by Monica Mohindra, Head of Program Communication and Coordination, Veterans History Project. “A Kiss is Just a Kiss.”  Or is it, “As Time Goes By?” When the publishers staged a reunion in 1980, they used another crooners’ standard, “It Had to be You” on a placard in the background. But was …

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

Which One Do You Love Most?

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

It’s Valentine’s Day. It seems everyone has love on their minds today—at least half of us, anyway. Last year, the National Retail Federation predicted that 54.7% of the United States adult population was planning to celebrate the holiday with their significant others, friends or pets to the tune of nearly $20 billion. Yes, billion with …

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

An Unexpected Opportunity

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest blog post by Brandon Lithalangsy, a student at the University of Central Arkansas, and former intern in the office of Senator John Boozman (AR). Being in the military, there are times we forget about those who have left the service.  It is important to remember their stories and the lessons …

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

Homegrown Plus: Stepping Back in Time with Connie Regan-Blake and Barbara Freeman

Posted by: Stephen Winick

In the Homegrown Plus series, we present Homegrown concerts that also had accompanying oral history interviews, placing both together in an easy-to-find blog post. (Find the whole series here!) We’re continuing the series with Connie Regan-Blake and Barbara Freeman’s very special storytelling event, Stepping Back in Time, which we presented on September 6, 2018. The title …

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

“The Greatest American Battle of the War” – A Visit From Those Who Were There

Posted by: Kerry Ward

Care must be taken in telling our proud tale not to claim for the British Army an undue share what is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war, and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever famous American victory.” – Sir Winston Churchill, addressing the House of Commons on January 18, 1945 Commemorating …