We Must Remember, We Can Never Forget Our Veterans

We Must Remember, We Can Never Forget Our Veterans

By Congressman Henry Bonilla

Last week our nation celebrated Veterans Day. The day reminded us that throughout America, and particularly in the Lone Star State, there are thousands of veterans with a wealth of unique memories and perspectives from their years of service in the U.S. Armed Forces.

To gather and preserve those memories for future generations, the Library of Congress has launched the Veterans History Project. I strongly encourage all veterans of all wars to participate in this exciting effort to capture first-person accounts of wartime experiences that helped make America great.

Created by Congress in 2000, the Veterans History Project coordinates and expands a national collection of veterans' oral histories and writings. Part of the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center, the Project honors those who served in the military and those civilians who have worked in dedicated support of our armed forces.

The Project builds on our nation's ever-evolving collective memory. The Veterans History Project has an important contribution to make because war can radically transform not just the men and women who fought, but also the people and society they are fighting for.

Honoring our past plays a key element for understanding our shared identity, and the Library of Congress - America's library - is the principal steward of America's memory. Oral history can bring us close to the experience of the intense camaraderie with others upon whom your life literally depends; the fear that comes with being under siege; or the uncertainty of waiting on the home front for a loved one to return. So many men and women from World War I to Operation Enduring Freedom have powerful stories that must be recorded for future generations.

Oral history brings history down from a lofty distance. While many histories of war capture the perspective of the generals and admirals, much can also be learned from the letters of a young man in combat and his young bride and mother of his children.

The Veterans History Project recruits Americans of all ages, veterans and non-veterans, to be part of this process. The project also serves as a tremendous outlet for veterans' sons and daughters, many of whom have long been curious about their father or mother's wartime stories but never heard them. By sitting down with audio or video recorders and guiding veterans through their military and civilian exploits, these volunteers add rich details to our nation's great history.

Almost 19 million war veterans live in America now, according to the Project. Tragically, more than 1,500 die every day. The time to record these oral histories is now!

For more information on how you and your family may contribute to the Veterans History Project, please visit the Project's web site at www.loc.gov/veterans or simply call the Project at (202) 707-4916. The staff at the Project will send you a starter kit and put you in touch with local volunteers to assist you in your efforts to contribute to this important collection.

It is up to those who served to share with America exactly why freedom isn't free.

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