Veterans History Project
Part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the Veterans History Project is an archive of interviews, photographs, memoirs, illustrations, and other historic documents that gives voice to the personal experiences of US war veterans. Housed in the Library of Congress, this vast collection provides firsthand accounts of the realities of war, making them accessible to the public and preserving them for future generations. The United States Congress introduced legislation to create the project in 2000, and it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on October 27, 2000.
The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the first person experiences of US veterans who served from WWI to the recent conflicts. Comprised of over 111,000 individual narratives expressed through interviews, original photographs, letters and documents as well as journals diaries and memoirs, the archive grows as it has for 20 years through the voluntary efforts of people. By gathering the stories of the veterans, we help deepen the understanding of our shared history in service and in times of conflict. Thousands of hours of interview, and thousands of items of documentation are digitized.
