Takano, Roe Challenge Congress to Collect, Preserve Veterans’ Stories

Encourage All Members to Participate in the Veterans History Project

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Dr. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) challenged all Members of Congress to participate in the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project (VHP) before this year’s Veterans Day (November 11, 2019).  By asking Members to submit at least one of their veteran constituents’ stories, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hopes to build up VHP’s records and ensure these stories are heard.

“We can think of no better way to honor the men and women who fought for our freedoms in the weeks leading up to Veterans Day than by ensuring that their unique stories of service are forever memorialized,” said Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Roe. “Through the Veterans History Project, these stories can be preserved for future generations of Americans to learn from and be inspired by. That’s why we are teaming up to help build their story bank by encouraging all of our colleagues to engage with the veterans in their own backyards and submit at least one of their stories to the Project prior to Veterans Day.”

Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 to give veterans a platform to share and preserve their personal narratives about their time in uniform and help Americans understand military service and its importance to our country’s history. The Project is managed by the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center and is open to all veterans that have served in the US military in any capacity from WWI to the present who are no longer serving and who were discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.

“The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress is an important repository of the powerful stories of American veterans,” said Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress. “These oral histories, unpublished memoirs, original photographs and other first-hand personal narratives preserve for future generations the realities of war these veterans faced. We are incredibly proud to continue building this collection and welcome contributions from every state and congressional district.”

“The Veterans History Project could not do what we do without the efforts of brilliant volunteers and willing veterans from all across the country who serve again to share these treasured stories with us,” said Karen Lloyd, Director of the Veterans History Project.  “Their stories are OUR stories – the stories of our nation told by those who were witness to historic events; whether in the foxhole, cockpit, ship deck, mess hall or at a desk. Thank you for supporting our mission of collecting, preserving, and making accessible these enlightening narratives so that researchers, students, documentarians, and most importantly – future generations will come to know them.”

To learn more about the Veterans History Project and how to participate, visit: https://www.loc.gov/vets/vets-home.html.

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