Senator Richard G. Lugar
Library of Congress
Volume 11 Contact Senator Lugar’s office at (317) 226-5555 or visit his website lugar.senate.gov
Return to the Veterans History Project page
Message from Senator Lugar Dear Friends: From the Revolutionary War, to the
current conflict By joining with the Library of Congress to include Hoosiers in the Veterans History Project, I hope to increase our understanding of, and appreciation for, the over 500,000 veterans that live here in Indiana. I have committed myself, and my staff, as well as many partners across the state to the task of documenting the stories of service of Hoosier veterans. By preserving these memories, we are helping to ensure that the contributions of the average GI, men and women who carried the burden of protecting our freedom are not forgotten. I am grateful for your efforts in joining with me on the Veterans History Project, and I look forward to increasing dramatically our contributions to our national history. If you would like to participate in the Veterans History Project, please contact Emmy Huffman of my staff. You may reach Emmy at (317) 226-5555 or via email at emmy_huffman@lugar.senate.gov. Sincerely, Richard G. Lugar Inside This Issue |
Honoring Those Who Served
First Lieutenant Brian Slavens, of Illinois was killed November 2 in Iraq. Lt. Slavens was killed when the Chinook helicopter he was flying was shot down. He spent part of his childhood in Fort Wayne. Specialist Brian Penisten was killed Sunday, November 2 in Iraq when the helicopter he was riding in was shot down. He was a member of the First Third Armored Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. My thoughts and prayers are with the many young men and women still serving in trouble spots all over the globe and the families of those lost during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lugar Kicks Off Veterans Project Media Campaign My office issued the following press release to announce a new effort to recruit veterans to participate in the Veterans History Project: U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar will launch
this Veteran’s Day, November 11, a new year-long
initiative as part of the Sen. Richard G. Lugar/Library
of Congress Veterans History Project. As part of this new initiative, Lugar has teamed with AARP Indiana and the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community, two of the more than 150 partners statewide, to record television and radio public service announcements. |
“Since 2001, we have worked hard to find Hoosier veterans who want to share their story with the nation and have their personal remembrances recorded and saved forever,” said Lugar, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1957-1960. “It is my hope that with this new public awareness campaign, we will find more veterans who wish to participate in the project. The involvement of the Library of Congress assures participants that their contributions will be preserved in perpetuity and take a prominent place in our national archives.” The PSAs (three 30 second and one 60 second) all briefly describe the program and call on veterans who wish to participate to contact Lugar’s office. “It is my hope that TV and
radio stations statewide will incorporate these PSAs
into their schedule rotation for the next year,”
Lugar added. “This project is important in furthering
the collective understanding of our nation’s
history, and Hoosiers can play a role in that. Currently,
Indiana has submitted more interviews to this collection
than any other state.” The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with more than 120 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 18 million books, 2.5 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4.5 million maps, and 54 million manuscripts. The veterans histories collected as part of this program will be permanently archived by the Library of Congress and over time will be available for research and study. Progress Report As of November 1, 2003, I have submitted 2,370 completed interviews to the Library of Congress to be included in the Veterans History Project. I have notified 5,208 friends and family members that these interviews have been submitted and will be publicly available. To visit the Library of Congress website, please visit http://www.loc.gov. I am pleased to announce that several new organizations have partnered with my office to participate in the Veterans History Project. I extend my appreciation to the following organizations:
With these additional partners, I am now working closely with 155 organizations statewide to interview Hoosier veterans. |
The History of Veterans Day The following information was taken from the VFW In 1921, an unknown World War I American Soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, became the focal point of reverence for America’s veterans. Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation’s highest place of honor (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as Armistice Day. Realizing that peace was equally preserved by veterans of WWII and Korea, Congress was requested to make this day an occasion to honor those who have served America in all wars. In 1954 President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day. On Memorial Day 1958, two more unidentified American war dead were brought from overseas and interred in the plaza beside the unknown soldier of World War I. One was killed in World War II, the other in the Korean War. In 1973, a law passed providing interment of an unknown American from the Vietnam War, but none was found for several years. In 1984, and unknown serviceman from that conflict was placed alongside the others. To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, The 3d U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil. The focal point for official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day continues to be at the memorial amphitheater built around the Tomb of the Unknowns. At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard representing all military services executes “present Arms” at the tomb. The nation’s tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath. The bugler plays “Taps.” The rest of the ceremony takes place in the amphitheater. Library of Congress Presents Veterans Day Special on Public Radio In honor of Veteran’s Day, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress will present a one-hour special entitled, “Coming Home.” The program, drawn from the oral histories gathered by the American Folklife Center as part of the Veterans History Project, will be aired in early November on many Public Radio International (PRI) affiliate stations. |
Featuring stories and voices from the Veterans History Project collection, “Coming Home,” from the series Experiencing War, tells stories of sacrifice, triumph, great expectations and crushing disappointments. Some soldiers return home to ticker-tape parades and bonuses while others are told by their superiors not to wear their uniforms. In addition to their public reception, each soldier must face a personal, private return to their country, community and loved ones. Veterans from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War and the civilians who supported them are coming forward to record their personal stories for a growing archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The goal of the Veterans History Project is to collect, preserve and share with future generations the stories of all our war veterans and those who served in support of them such as the riveters, cooks and truck drivers. “Veterans Day is a time to honor those who have a story of service. By participating in the Veterans History Project, they help us preserve an invaluable record for future generations,” said Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, director of the Veterans History Project. The radio special features commentary by distinguished military and cultural historians who throw the spotlight on the many voices of veterans as they share their personal recollections of very different wars. “Poignant is the word for these stories. ‘Coming Home’ offers PRI listeners treasures from the Veterans History Project’s outstanding collection and surprises from each new interview we gather,” said Lee Woodman, executive producer of the program. Check your local listings for the date and time of the airing of “Coming Home”. “Coming Home” is made possible through the support of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Charitable Service Trust. The Veterans History Project’s Web site has digital interviews and wartime memorabilia and tells how others can get involved with the project. Congress created the project in legislation sponsored by Rep. Ron Kind, Rep. Amo Houghton, Rep. Steny Hoyer, Sen. Max Cleland and Sen. Chuck Hagel. (Rep. Houghton and Senators Cleland and Hagel are featured on the new site.) The project is happening the way Congress envisioned: with grandchildren interviewing grandparents; veterans interviewing each other; and schools that conduct interviews as part of classroom assignments. It is unique in that it is one of the few nationwide oral history efforts relying on volunteers rather than professional oral historians to collect stories and artifacts. |
Among those featured in “Coming Home” are Brian and Jeanne Markle from Frankfort, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Markle both served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and I was proud to submit their personal stories to the Library of Congress. The following stations will air the “Coming Home” radio program: WXVI-FM Crawfordsville Highlights The Peabody Public Library, in Whitley County, recently submitted several interviews to be included in the Veterans History Project. Rebecca Woods, an individual from North Vernon, recently completed veterans’ interviews to be sent to the Library of Congress. Greensburg High School completed nearly 30 interviews with local veterans to be included in the Veterans History Project. The Sullivan County Public Library recently submitted interviews as part of the Veterans History Project. Robin Run Retirement Village submitted additional materials to be included with their previous submissions to the Library of Congress. Special thanks to Nancy Griffin of AARP Indiana and Ben Dickerson of the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging and Community for their assistance in filming the Veterans History Project Public Service Announcements. I am looking forward to many more veterans sharing their stories as a result of the announcements.
If you would like to receive this update
electronically, please send an email request to vetproject@lugar.senate.gov
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