In your role, you provide care to a family member. But, you also hold a key to our nation’s history; chances are, your care recipient has participated in many amazing historical moments: economic devastation, technological revolutions and World Wars.
And, the Veterans History Project wants you to unlock the war-time experiences of your care recipient. To preserve the history our nation’s veterans witnessed and experienced, Congress founded the Veterans History Project in 2000. The project is run by the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center and cosponsored by AARP. According to its web site, the purpose of the project is to collect memories, accounts, and documents of war veterans and of those who served in support of them (civilian volunteers) during World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars, and to preserve their stories of experience and service for future generations.
The project makes it easy for you to get started in documenting your care recipient’s story. The project’s web site features a project kit, containing everything you need to get started in interviewing your care recipient about his or her experiences.
So, take advantage of the time you have right now–start documenting your care recipient’s history. You’ll be amazed at what you learn!
To get started, visit the Veterans History Project at www.loc.gov/folklife/vets/
