Now in its second decade of collecting, preserving and sharing the first-person recollections of U.S. war veterans, the Veterans History Project (VHP) of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress has reached several major milestones—10,000 of its more than 75,000 collections are now digitized and accessible online and it has mounted its 34th web presentation, “Wings of War,” with a focus on military aviation.
“Our digitization process is ongoing. We hope to digitize thousands more in the coming years, making more collections accessible to the American people and the world,” said Veterans History Project Director Bob Patrick. “These stories run the gamut from tragic to heartwarming and from funny to harrowing—there’s something for everyone.
Left: WWII Veteran George Travers aboard the ship LST-764, transporting Japanese soldiers from China to Sasebo, Japan, ca. 1945. Right: Travers with his VHP interviewer recently at the Indian Prairie (Ill.) Public Library. - Both photos Veterans History Project
“Our 10,000th digitized collection is of World War II Coast Guard veteran George A. Travers, who recounts his remarkable D-Day experience at Iwo Jima,” Patrick said.
New Experience War Collection
To mark Memorial Day 2011, the Veterans History Project added “Wings of War” to its Experiencing War series. The first-hand accounts of 24 military aviators are counted among the 10,000 collections now accessible online at www.loc.gov/vets/.
“Military aviation plays a critical role, not only during combat missions, but also during often-overlooked operations such as food and supply deliveries, search and rescue missions, and securely transporting the President of the United States,” said Patrick. “The Veterans History Project is honored to present this latest web feature to show the many faces of military aviation with the hope that people will get a better understanding of and appreciation for this type of service.”
VHP on iTunes U
Apple’s iTunes U now features the Veterans History Project. Selected VHP stories, VHP information and guidelines are available for download at no cost at http://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/veterans-history-project/id438186138.
“Classrooms nationwide use the VHP’s materials to enhance student understanding of American history and engage with VHP through experiential learning, as well as performing a service to veterans and their communities,” said Veterans History Project Director Bob Patrick.
The iTunes content is part of a proliferation of VHP online resources—including primary source sets —and more than 10,000 digitized collections online at www.loc.gov/vets/.
Individual iTunes U channels also feature free VHP stories. More than 30 VHP interviews recorded at Michigan’s Grand Valley State University are presented on its iTunes U channel page, http://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/veterans-history-project/id386256544. Think TV’s “World War II: Exploring Your Local History” also provided VHP interviews to the Ohio iTunes U channel, http://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/wwii-exploring-local-history/id386816339. “World War II: Exploring Your Local History” is a high-school curriculum designed to engage students in learning about World War II and help students learn about the impact of the war in their own communities.
