Today, the Veterans History Project (VHP) debuts the newest installment of our online exhibit, Experiencing War, entitled “Personal Snapshots: Picturing the Vietnam War.” While curating this exhibit, I was reminded of Tim O’Brien’s brilliant collection of wartime stories, The Things They Carried. One scene in particular connected with the exhibit’s subject: Many years after the …
I never had a childhood hero, a celebrity or historic figure or famous athlete whom I looked up to above all others. To this day, it’s my friends and family whom I admire the most and try to emulate. That’s why, when someone asked me recently about a leader I admire, at first, the question …
“A picture is worth a thousand words.” “The eyes are the window to the soul.” Trite as these sayings may be, they offer possible explanations for why we find portraits—whether they are painted, drawn, or photographed—so compelling. Anyone who has visited the National Portrait Gallery (my personal favorite of the Smithsonian museums), or browsed through …
This month sees a round of 70th anniversaries relating to the end of World War II–the release of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, and Japan’s announcement of surrender on August 15th. The Veterans History Project‘s (VHP) official commemoration will come next month, with the September 8th release of an …
Happy Birthday, Navy! The United States Navy turned a whopping 239 years old on October 13th. On this day in 1775, the Continental Congress created the Continental Navy, thus establishing what would eventually become the United States Navy. To commemorate the occasion, I wanted to explore an intriguing and historic Navy tradition that is frequently …