VHP is the largest oral history project archive in the Nation and was authorized by the United States Congress in 2000. VHP collects the firsthand accounts of Veterans and their experiences through audio, video-taped interviews (30 minutes or longer), written memoirs (20 pages or more of original unpublished memoirs), letters, postcards, v-mail, personal diaries, photographs, drawings and scrapbooks. VHP’s mission is to preserve the stories of American war Veterans so future generations may recount them directly and better understand the realities of war and the costs of preserving freedom.
VHP is collecting accounts of U.S. Veterans from the following wars and conflicts:
• World War, 1914-1918
• World War, 1939-1945
• Cold War
• Korean War, 1950-1953
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975
• Grenada--History--American Invasion, 1983
• Panama--History--American Invasion, 1989
• Operation Restore Hope, 1992-1993
• Persian Gulf War, 1991
• United Nations Operation in Somalia
• Haiti--History--American intervention, 1994-1995
• Operation Allied Force, 1999
• Peacekeeping forces--Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Operation Joint Guardian, 1999-
• War on Terrorism, 2001-2009
• Afghan War, 2001-
• Iraq War, 2003-2011
There is no deadline for submissions as the project is ongoing.
Anyone, including students, student groups, individuals, families, community organizations and/or Veterans, are welcome to participate and submit materials for consideration.
Once these stories are submitted,
they are made available to the public through a searchable database maintained by the Library of Congress. Interested parties are highly encouraged to review this database for examples of accepted materials.
The Library of Congress has sample questions to provide additional direction.
To get started right away, please download a how-to field kit at
loc.gov/vets.
For more information, please contact my District Director, Jodi Marsico (717-603-4980 /
Jodi.Marsico@mail.house.gov
).
Congressman
Scott Perry
Serving Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District