Making Veterans Day Even More Meaningful €(NAPSA)—The Library of Con- VETNS HISTORY PROJECT gress Veterans History Project (VHP) is calling on all Americans to make Veterans Day more meaningful for the veterans in their lives by recording their memories of military service. Preserving History Established by the U.S. Congress in 2000, VHP’s mandateis to collect, preserve and make accessible the firsthand recollections of America’s war veterans. Through a network of volunteers from across the country, VHP has collected more than 75,000 stories, of which more than 10,000 have been digitized and made accessible via VHP’s website, www.loc.gov/vets. “Our goal is to help make Veterans Day more meaningful and personal for veterans and their loved ones,” said VHP Director Bob Patrick. “What better way to do that than by recording their war stories and submitting them to the Library of Congress, where they will be preserved for generations to come,” he added. A Free Guide Is Available Straightforward guidelines in VHP’s Field Kit (a how-to-recorda-story booklet) show volunteers how to interview a veteran for 30 minutes or longer while recording the conversation using their own audio- or video-recording equipment. Next, volunteers may send the original recording, along with VHP’s required forms, to the Library of Congress, where they are addedto the Library’s permanentcollections. Established by the U.S. Congress, the Veterans History Project collects, preserves and makes accessible thefirsthand recollections of America’s war veterans. A profile page for each veteran who shares a story with VHP appears on www.loc.gov/vets four to six months from the date VHP receives the collection, and the profile is accessible to researchers, teachers, authors and the general public through VHP’s searchable online database. The project also accepts original photographs, letters, military documents, diaries, journals, two- dimensional artwork and unpublished memoirs. A Meaningful Project National organizations, local groups and individuals, including students in grades 10 and higher, are encouraged to mark the day with this meaningful volunteer project by interviewing veterans within their own families or communities or by collaborating with local veterans service organizationsto collect stories. For more information or to request a VHP Field Kit, contact VHP at (888) 371-5848, e-mail vohp@loc.gov or visit www.loc.gov/ vets.
