A vivid watercolor portraying a soldier writing a letter home. A graphite sketch of a comrade looking pensive. A detailed woodcut depicting a street scene in North Africa. Together, these works capture not only the sights of war, but also the humanity within it – through the eyes of Army medic and artist William K. …
This blog highlights a special display celebrating artwork held within Veterans History Project (VHP) collections, on view December 9, 2025, through January 31, 2026, in the Thomas Jefferson Building. Unique amongst VHP’s holdings are two-dimensional works of art, such as drawings, paintings, illustrations and photographs, documenting servicemembers’ experiences from WWI through Iraq and Afghanistan.
Timed around the Project’s 25th anniversary, the display underscores the ongoing mission to preserve and share veterans’ voices, ensuring these stories remain accessible for future generations.
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 …
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 …