Ahead of Veterans
Day, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley on Thursday, Nov. 10 announced his
office is taking part in the Library of Congress American Folklife Center’s
Veterans History Project to help record and share the unique stories of Oregon
veterans from all walks of life.
“Oregonians have
stepped up to serve in the United States Armed Forces for generations, and many
of us have family members, friends, and loved ones who have answered this call
to service,” Merkley said. “Capturing the firsthand, lived experiences of
veterans in our communities is an important way we can honor their sacrifices
and dedication. That’s why I am teaming up with the Veterans History Project to
help Oregon veterans and Gold Star Family members share their service stories, while
providing a powerful volunteer opportunity for Oregonians across the state.
Together, we will help ensure the voices of Oregon veterans are preserved in
American history for future generations.”
“We are so pleased
to welcome Senator Merkley and his staff as enthusiastic participants in the
Veterans History Project, as well as the incredible volunteers across the state
of Oregon who have already committed to recording the stories of veteran
Oregonians,” said Monica Mohindra, Director of the Veterans History Project.
“Their dedicated efforts are inspiring and we eagerly look forward to this
momentous preservation and amplification of Oregon veterans’ voices and
experiences.”
The Veterans History
Project (VHP) was created by Congress in 2000 to collect and preserve the
first-person narratives from United States military veterans from World War I
through the present so that future generations may hear directly from veterans
and better understand the realities of military service.
In addition to audio
and video recorded oral history interviews from veterans and Gold Star
Families, VHP accepts and makes accessible memoirs and collections of original
photographs, letters, diaries, maps, and other historical documents from
veterans. The collections are accessible online, and are used by millions of
researchers, authors, filmmakers, students, teachers, and more each year.
To date, VHP has
collected over 114,000 individual accounts from veterans who have served our
country, and Senator Merkley’s office is building a team of volunteers to
interview and gather original contributions from Oregon veterans.
How to Participate:
- If you
are an Oregon veteran, sit down and share your service story with a family
member, friend, loved one, or community member and record a conversation about
your military experiences for 30 minutes or longer, and/or donate an original
collection of accepted materials from your time in service. Gold Star Family
members may also share the service story of an immediate family member lost in
the line of duty of military service. - Volunteer
to interview a veteran in your family or community. VHP also provides free Zoom
or in-person training workshops for organizations interested in learning how to
conduct interviews. - Collect
or donate a veteran’s historical documents — check out what VHP accepts and
collects at www.loc.gov/programs/veterans-history-project/about-this-program/.
Oregon veterans or
Gold Star Family members interested in learning more about how to participate,
and Oregonians looking to volunteer to interview or collect materials from
Oregon veterans, should visit Senator Merkley’s new Veterans History Project
page at www.merkley.senate.gov/about/issues/veterans-history-project,
email VHP@merkley.senate.gov for
assistance from his office, or call his office at 503-326-3386.
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