One of the favorite parts of my job is working with my colleagues and constituents on initiatives that honor and give thanks to our war veterans. There are few better ways to recognize our war veterans than to have their personal experiences recorded as part of the permanent historical record of our nation. The Veterans' History Project makes clear the respect, support and appreciation that each and every one of us feels for the men and women who fought bravely to secure our freedoms and safety.
On Wednesday, my office coordinated with Norwalk Community College’s (NCC) Veterans Club, the Catholic War Veterans, and the Stamford Historical Society to conduct a learning workshop for the Veterans History Project (VHP), an initiative for the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. Folklorist and oral historian Millie Rahn, a trainer for the Library of Congress, instructed a group of college and high school students, local veterans and members of the community how to conduct interviews and submit materials for VHP. I was happy to learn how eager the attendees were to conduct their own interviews, and offer a special thanks to NCC Veterans’ Club advisor Charles Kruzshak and Stamford Catholic War Veteran Post commander Cortland Mehl for coordinating with me on this effort.
Instructions and guidelines for your participation in this worthwhile project are available at my website, at the Veterans History Project website, or by contacting the project message line at 1-888-371-5848. If you would like assistance from my office submitting your story or that of a loved one, please contact my office directly at 866-453-0028 and ask for Jarvis Johnson or Peter Yazbak.
Above: Library of Congress oral historian Millie Rahn interviews Norwalk veteran Tony Velez.