This post recounts three stories of formal dresses that were made out of World War II silk parachutes. In two cases, they were wedding dresses, meaning that silk once intended for war had been transformed into a symbol of new beginnings. These stories are striking reminders that history isn’t just found in archives or interviews—it’s stitched into uniforms, tucked into footlockers and woven into parachute silk transformed into wedding gowns. These everyday artifacts speak volumes, capturing emotion, memory and meaning in ways words sometimes cannot. The stories come from the collections of the Veterans History Project.
Today, the Veterans History Project launches a new online exhibit focusing on the Battle of the Bulge, one of the most pivotal and infamous battles of World War II. On December 16, 1944, the German army attacked Allied forces—mostly American units—positioned in the Ardennes Forest, a densely forested area along the borders of Belgium and …
On June 13th, a new exhibition titled, “Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress,” opened to the public in the new David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery in the Thomas Jefferson Building. This post highlights items from the collections of the American Folklife Center and the Veterans History Project featured in the exhibition.
In the wee morning hours of June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, France. Given the code name OVERLORD, the operation was the largest amphibious assault in history, and would go on to be known simply as “D-Day.” Today, eighty years later, the Veterans History Project has captured and preserved more …
Today, the Veterans History Project (VHP) launches a new online exhibit titled “In Memoriam: Honoring the Fallen,” featuring the stories of 15 servicemembers who died during their time in the military. For many, Memorial Day may feel like nothing more than a day off from work, a holiday that serves to mark the start of …
The following is a guest blog post by Veterans History Project (VHP) participant Paul LaRue, a retired social studies teacher in Washington Court House, Ohio. As an educator, you are always looking for projects that make a difference in the lives of your students, and, if you are lucky, in your community. I found that …
The following is a guest post by Elaina Finkelstein, a public affairs Specialist in the Library’s Office of Communication. Today is June 6—a seemingly ordinary Tuesday for some, but for my family, a day spent remembering the harrowing service of my grandfather, Lewis Finkelstein, on the beaches of Normandy, France, in 1944. Through an oral …
In honor of the upcoming anniversary of D-Day, the Veterans History Project (VHP) is excited to debut a recently digitized new acquisition: a rare map used during the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Part of the Joseph Vaghi collection, the map was given to the Veterans History Project by Vaghi’s sons Joseph, …
The following is a guest post by Andrew Huber, a liaison specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP). April Fools is a time of year when you have to expect the unexpected, and things are not always as they seem. Here at the Veterans History Project (VHP), it’s no different, except that we have to …
