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Category: Veterans History Project

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

Celebrating Women’s History: Still Standing – The Story of Tammy Duckworth

Posted by: Megan Harris

The following is a guest post by Lisa A. Taylor, liaison specialist with the Veterans History Project. A version of this blog post ran on the Library of Congress Blog on March 13th. Disabled combat hero, veterans’ advocate, politician, woman. U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is many things, most strikingly, a person who has not …

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

Serving the Armed Forces: The USO

Posted by: Megan Harris

The following is a guest post by Rachel Telford, Program Specialist for the Veterans History Project. Founded 73 years ago this month, the United Service Organizations (USO) was created at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide entertainment and recreation to members of the military. Six civilian service organizations – the Salvation Army, …

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

Play Ball!… Aboard Ship?

Posted by: Megan Harris

Though the recent polar vortex may have tempered my enthusiasm a bit, this January I’ve been pulling on my running shoes and hitting the pavement with renewed focus. The resolution to exercise more in the new year led me to think about the role that sports have played in military life over the years. Athletics …

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

The Battles of Leyte and Luzon, 1944-1945

Posted by: Megan Harris

When the New Year arrives, thoughts often turn to what the coming year might bring. During wartime, service members inevitably wonder if the next year will be the year: the long-anticipated time when peace is declared and they can reunite with their families after so many months spent apart. For soldiers fighting in the Pacific …

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

Buttered Fresh Frozen Lima Beans: Commemorative Holiday Menus in the Veterans History Project

Posted by: Megan Harris

Chow, c-rations, MREs—no matter the form it takes or the name given to it, food is important in military life. Materials within the Veterans History Project (VHP) collections are peppered with culinary references: the monotony of military rations, the ache of hunger when food was scarce, and often the longing and anticipation for home-cooked meals …

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

The Veterans History Project

Posted by: Megan Harris

Within the vast array of recordings housed at the American Folklife Center (everything from sea shanties to slave narratives to street cries), you can also find voices that are a little different from the rest: the narratives of over 90,000 American veterans—all part of the Veterans History Project. Created by Congress in 2000, the Veterans …