The Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center (commonly known as the Veterans History Project) was created by the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
in 2000 to collect and preserve the firsthand remembrances of U.S. wartime
veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military veteran that h ...
s. Its mandate ensures future generations may hear directly from those who served to better understand the realities of war. It is a special project of the
American Folklife Center
The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. was created by Congress in 1976 "to preserve and present American Folklife". The center includes the Archive of Folk Culture, established at the library in 1928 as a repo ...
, a research center of the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
.
The program is conducted through Congressional offices and relies on a national network of veteran service organizations, universities, secondary schools, community groups and the general public to record interviews according to program guidelines. These and original letters, diaries, photos, memoirs and historic documents related to a veteran's wartime service are then preserved at the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
. Through 2010 the project held more than 65,000 collections and was considered the largest
oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...
program of its kind in the nation. It serves as an important resource for scholars, historians, students and the general public.
The Veterans History Project authorizing legislation ( Public Law 106-380) was sponsored by Representatives
Ron Kind
Ronald James Kind (born March 16, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for , since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is in the western part of the state and is anchored by La Cros ...
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer (born June 14, 1939) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for since 1981 and as House Majority Leader since 2019. A Democrat, Hoyer was first elected in a special election on May 19, 19 ...
Max Cleland
Joseph Maxwell Cleland (August 24, 1942 – November 9, 2021) was an American politician from Georgia. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a disabled U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, a recipient of the Silver Star and the Bronze Star ...
and
Chuck Hagel
Charles Timothy Hagel ( born October 4, 1946)U.S. Senate. It received unanimous support and was signed into law by President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
on October 27, 2000.
Directors
* 2000-2006: Ellen McCulloch Lovell
* 2006-2016: Robert Patrick
* 2016- : Karen Lloyd
Associated media projects
Notable media projects associated with the Veterans History Project include:
* A March 2007 screening of a series of films, shorts, and television episodes during
Women's History Month
Women's History Month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, corresponding with ...
titled "Women at War" highlighting American servicewomen participation in the major wars of the 20th century.
** March 2: '' Mad Parade'' (1931) and '' 100% American'' (1918)
** March 9: '' Ladies Courageous'' (1944) and ''
Women in Defense
''Women in Defense'' is a 1941 short film produced by the Office of Emergency Management shortly before the United States entered the Second World War. It was directed by John Ford.
The Academy Film Archive preserved ''Women in Defense'' in 2008 ...
'' (1942)
** March 16: ''
Flight Nurse
A flight nurse is a registered nurse who specialises in the field of providing comprehensive pre-hospital, emergency critical care, and hospital care to a vast scope of patients. The care of these patients is generally during aeromedical evacuat ...
'' (1953) and ''
M*A*S*H
''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker.
T ...
China Beach
''China Beach'' is an American war film, war drama television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam, nicknamed "China Beach" in English by Amer ...
'' and a television report titled "Woman Doctor in Vietnam" (1966), which aired on the CBS news program ''The 20th Century''
** March 30: ''
Courage Under Fire
''Courage Under Fire'' is a 1996 American war film directed by Edward Zwick, and starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan. It is the second collaboration between Washington and director Zwick. The film was released in the United States on July ...
'' (1996)
* A joint community engagement during 2007 between the Veterans History Project and PBS resulted in the September 7 airing of the seven-part
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV and/or th ...
PBS documentary '' The War''. The television miniseries underscores the VHP's objective of building the historic record by collecting first-hand recollections of wartime veterans. It also profiles civilians who work in support of war efforts, such as
Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Riveter is an allegorical cultural icon in the United States who represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new ...
s and USO volunteers.
* The VHP launched a companion website on October 1, 2007, to "guide viewers through each episode, detail related historic events through the perspectives of hundreds of World War II veterans who contributed their recollections to the project archives, and showcase the wide variety of media contributed to the archives.
* The VHP commemorated
Veterans Day
Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces (who were discharged under conditions other than dis ...
on November 11, 2008, with a special online presentation featuring firsthand recollections of African American soldiers from the
92nd Infantry Division 92nd Division may refer to:
* 92nd Infantry Division (German Empire)
* 92nd Armored Division of the Iranian Army
* 92nd Infantry Division (United States)
The 92nd Infantry Division (92nd Division, WWI) was an African-American infantry division ...
of World War II.
*The Veterans History Project commemorated its 10th anniversary through a host of various events and initiatives, including a commemorative anniversary event. The featured speaker for this event was James H. Billington, the 13th Librarian of Congress, who called upon Americans to collect the stories of veterans on September 29th, 2010.
*The VHP commemorated its 15th anniversary with a new web presentation titled "VHP at 15: Collections Over the Years," to memorialize fifteen collections through their existing online series, "Experiencing War."
*The Veterans History Project celebrated its 20th anniversary with online concerts and panels, November 6–14, 2020
**November 6: Barbara Martin
**November 7: "In Love and War" -
Roxanne Seeman
Roxanne Joy Seeman is an American songwriter and lyricist. She is best known for her songs by Billie Hughes, Philip Bailey, Phil Collins, Earth, Wind & Fire, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, The Sisters of Mercy, The Jacksons, Jacky Cheung, and i ...
, songwriter with
Elise Solberg
Elise Solberg is a Japanese-American pianist, composer, and songwriter. She is best known for playing keyboards with Chloe x Halle, Chloe Bailey and Beyoncé's 2022 Oscar performance. Solberg is the founder of Turn Up Her Mic.
Early life and ed ...
, pianist and Hannah Goldblatt, singer
**November 8: "Still Over There" - Franklin Tootle, Operation Song
**November 9: Conversation on conversing: Veterans discuss VHP participation
**November 10: "Old Glory" - Kimberley Mitchell, Operation Song
**November 12: Organizational benefits to collaborating with VHP, panel discussion
**November 13: "Precious Pearl" - Kimberley Mitchell, Operation Song
**November 14: Volunteering to make history, panel discussion
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...