In honor of the Veterans History Project's 25th anniversary, we’re highlighting photographs and stories from six compelling collections that offer personal and visual perspectives on military service across more than a century of conflicts, from World War I through the war in Iraq.
John Carpenter's "The Thing," the classic 1982 sci-fi/horror film, was voted by fans into the 2025 National Film Registry. One of the film's surprise stars was Jed, the part wolf/part dog who plays a key role in the movie's plot. Richard Masur, who played Jed's handler in the movie, recalls the joy and fear of working with such a "big, beautiful" but wild animal. Jed went on to other roles in Hollywood, playing the title character in "White Fang" and "White Fang 2."
Liza Mundy, author of the bestselling "Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II," researched the bestselling 2017 book at the Library's Veterans History Project. She drew on the military service records of thousands of women who served in the war but whose work had been little recognized.
Amy Heckering's 1995 comedy, "Clueless," was one of the defining films of decade and was just inducted into the National Film Registry. But even as the director of another generational favorite from the 1980s, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," Heckerling didn't see it coming while writing and working on the film. And that title? She got it from her babysitter.
