VA Center for Minority Veterans Launches VHP Initiative—Dispatch September 24, 2014

As part of its 20th anniversary commemorative event, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) today launched a Veterans History Project (VHP) initiative to inspire minority veterans nationwide to share their wartime stories and have them permanently preserved at the Library of Congress. More than 300 Minority Veteran Program Coordinators, who are strategically located throughout the United States at VA regional offices, health care facilities and national cemeteries, will work with volunteers and other organizations in their areas to record and submit veterans’ interviews to VHP. Although this will be an on-going initiative, the VACMV has set an initial goal of having at least one interview submitted from each regional office by Veterans Day, November 11, 2014.

VACMV Senior Program Analyst Renaee Allen said, “The new ‘CMV VHP Initiative’ is the perfect opportunity for our colleagues all over the country to honor the veterans with whom they come into contact daily—by listening to them talk about what they experienced during their service days and recording those conversations for the Library of Congress. This will ensure that the stories of these important, yet often overlooked, servicemen and servicewomen are preserved for posterity.”

Minority Veteran Program Coordinators will collaborate with volunteers from several organizations, including 100 Black Men, the American Legion, Blacks in Government, Buffalo Soldiers and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Each participant must visit www.loc.gov/vets to download an instructional field kit, and is being asked to list “VACMV Initiative” as the affiliated organization on all forms.

The Mission of the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center is to collect, preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. Learn more at www.loc.gov/vets. Share your exciting VHP initiatives, programs, events, and news stories with VHP to be considered for a future RSS. Email vohp@loc.gov and place “My VHP RSS Story” in the subject line.