Top of page

Category: World War I

small diary with tiny handwriting

A Quick Note of Thanks

Posted by: Kerry Ward

Veterans Day season is understandably a traditionally busy time for the Veterans History Project (VHP) staff and supporters. With media interviews, performances, workshops, exhibits, veteran/Gold Star family member interview opportunities and ceremonies, this year was certainly no different.  As we bask in the afterglow of successfully sharing stories through multiple mediums, I would be remiss …

Screenshot of VHP website

Website Redesign Makes VHP Easier Than Ever

Posted by: Kerry Ward

How are you planning to commemorate this Veterans Day? There are many ways to show gratitude for the veterans in your life.  Can you guess the one I would suggest? Show appreciation to the veteran in your life by helping them collect and preserve their military memories so that they may be accessible through the …

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

Motherhood and the Military

Posted by: Kerry Ward

The following is a post about the upcoming Veterans History Project (VHP) virtual discussion panel, “Motherhood and the Military.”  Watch the Folklife Today blog for an upcoming post from Motherhood and the Military panelist Rue Mayweather on May 4th. This second Sunday in May has been set aside for our nation to remember and celebrate …

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

At Home Archive Challenge: Exploring VHP Collections

Posted by: Megan Harris

Hello to potential explorers of the Veterans History Project (VHP) archive! We’re so excited that you’re considering taking part in the American Folklife Center’s newest version of the Archive Challenge. VHP’s collections are nothing if not inspirational, and you are sure to find a wealth of material–everything from epic poems to wartime love letters and …

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

The Last Sunday in September

Posted by: Kerry Ward

The last Sunday in September marks Gold Star Mothers and Family’s day- a day for our nation to show our profound gratitude and respect for the families of our fallen.  Last year, the Library of Congress invited Gold Star families to join us so that we could celebrate the lives, service and love of their …

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

Words of Wisdom from the Descendant of a Survivor: ‘Stay Home and Play Your Banjo’

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest blog post by Hope O’Keeffe, an attorney in the Library’s Office of General Counsel, and an ardent supporter of the Veterans History Project. To read a previous guest post about her family’s history of proud military service, go here. This is my grandfather, John McLaughlin, quarantined during the 1918 flu …

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

Stories from the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic from Ethnographic Collections

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

The Library of Congress collections contain stories of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic as told by ordinary people, documented by folklorists, linguists, and others as they collected personal histories and folklore. Several of these are available online and a selection will be presented here, with links at the end under “Resources” where more can be found. …