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Posted by: Megan Harris
The following is a guest blog post by Bob Patrick, director of the Veterans History Project. May 29, 2004 was one of the great days of my life. On that day, the World War II Memorial on The Mall in Washington, DC was dedicated. For two years before, I worked as the Director of the …
Posted in: Veterans History Project, World War II
Posted by: Megan Harris
“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 …
Posted in: Exhibits, Photographs, Veterans History Project, World War I, World War II
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
November 10, 2015 marks the 240th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Semper fidelis! It just so happens that this birthday falls during November, the month set aside to celebrate the rich history and culture of Native Americans/American Indians. Interestingly enough, while recently doing some research for a media event, I came across a …
Posted in: Cultural Heritage, Narratives, Native American History, Oral History, Storytelling, Veterans History Project
Posted by: Megan Harris
Happy 15th birthday to the Veterans History Project! On October 27, 2000, the 106th Congress signed Public Law 106-380, an act “to direct the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to establish a program to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of American war veterans, and for other purposes.” …
Posted in: AFC History, African Americans, Iraq War, Oral History, Veterans History Project, World War I, World War II
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
I confess that, until joining the staff of the Veterans History Project (VHP) six years ago, I had not really given much thought to the plight of disabled veterans. Like most people, I had seen veterans with scars, burns and missing limbs, and probably unknowingly encountered many more with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but I …
Posted in: Disablity, Iraq War, Narratives, Oral History, Storytelling, Veterans History Project
Posted by: Megan Harris
Due in part to the well-known HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, which profiled the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the accomplishments and bravery of World War II paratroopers are well known. And deservedly so—I can’t imagine hurling myself out of a plane under the best of conditions, let alone while dodging enemy bullets …
Posted in: Hispanic American History, Oral History, Veterans History Project, World War II
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
Happy birthday to the U. S. Air Force, whose brave members have protected our skies for the past 68 years. Click here to access more than 3,000 Air Force veterans’ stories from the Veterans History Project archive.
Posted in: Narratives, Oral History, Storytelling, Veterans History Project
Posted by: Megan Harris
“Home Alive in ’45!” As World War II veteran Merle Korte explains, so went the popular mantra–though he and his shipmates aboard the USS Ritilicus, serving in the Pacific Ocean and awaiting the imminent invasion of Japan, could scarcely believe it was possible. Along with the rest of the world, they had lived with war …
Posted in: Oral History, Veterans History Project, World War II
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
The Library of Congress and the Veterans History Project (VHP) are counting down to the National Book Festival, taking place tomorrow, September 5th, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. The event, free and open to the public, will run from 10 am to 10 pm. In addition to having an opportunity …
Posted in: Narratives, Oral History, Storytelling, Veterans History Project