Message from Senator Lugar

Dear Friends:

As always I would like to commend my Veterans History Project team for their outstanding efforts on this important project. I am pleased to report, as you will see later, that we have completed more than 6,100 interviews with Hoosier veterans. Keep up the great work!

If you have any questions about the status of the Veterans History Project before the next newsletter, please feel free to contact Emmy Huffman of my staff for updates. You may reach Emmy at (317) 226-5555 or emmy_huffman@lugar.senate.gov.

Sincerely,

Honoring Those Who Served

Specialist Matthew Frantz, 23, died on January 20, 2006 in Hawijah, Iraq while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to initial reports, SPC Frantz died when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle.

He was assigned to 1st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. His family resides in Lafayette.

Private First Class Brian J. Schoff, 22, died on January 28, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to initial reports, PFC Schoff was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle.

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. His family resides in Michigan City.

To date, Indiana has suffered 77 casualties during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those lost in service to our nation.

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Progress Report

As of January 31, 2006, I have collected 6,100 completed interviews to be submitted to the Veterans History Project. Many of these interviews are available on the Library of Congress website at loc.gov/vets.

I have notified 10,707 friends and family members that these interviews have been submitted and will be publicly available as part of a national collection at the Library of Congress.

African American Wartime Stories Honored as part of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project

My office issued the following press release recognizing the latest collection released by the Library of Congress. I am especially pleased that so many Hoosier veterans were included in this celebration of Black History Month.

In honor of Black History Month, the Library of
Congress is highlighting collections of materials submitted by African American war veterans-including interviews from four Hoosier veterans submitted by U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar-on the Veterans History Project website.

"I am pleased to see Hoosiers included in this special collection for Black History Month. These histories are a valuable resource to those seeking to learn from the sacrifices of African American veterans," said Lugar.

"It is important that African American veterans can tell their personal stories and have them preserved for family members and the entire nation to appreciate for the rest of time," said Daryl Mickens, President of the Greater Indianapolis Chapter of the NAACP, one of Lugar's more than 200 statewide Veterans History Project partners.

On November 11, 2005, Veteran's Day, Lugar partnered with the Indianapolis NAACP to collect veteran interviews.

The collection of fully-digitized stories is titled "African Americans at War: Fighting Two Battles" and will be added to the "Experiencing War" stories from the Veterans History Project at www.loc.gov/warstories. This is the tenth set of individual stories comprising interviews, letters, photographs and written memoirs to be featured on the site.

"African Americans at War" presentation honors the service of veterans by sharing their stories with the public. The stories of the following African American veterans submitted by Lugar are on the website:

Frank Hosendove of Evansville- Frank served in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1946 and saw duty in the Pacific Theater. He attained the rank of Carpenters Mate 2nd Class and was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Theater Medal, American Campaign and WWII Victory Medal.

Harry Leavell of Richmond- Harry served with the Army from 1943-1946 and saw duty in the Pacific Theater. He attained the rank of First Sergeant and was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Theater Medal and Good Conduct Medal.

Oneida Miller Stuart of Indianapolis-Oneida served with the Army Nurse Corps from 1945-1946 at Nichols General Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. Her story was submitted bythe Indiana Historical Society in 2002 from a collection they collected from 1980-2000.

Quentin Smith of Gary-Quentin served with the Army Air Force from 1942-1945 in Tuskegee, Alabama. He attained the rank of First Lieutenant.

The Veterans History Project site now has 2,248 stories online. Many of the stories include audio and video interviews, diaries, photographs, letters and other materials. The goal is to collect, conserve and share the stories of all American war veterans with future generations. More than 40,000 individuals have submitted stories to the collection.

Lugar joined with the Library of Congress in the Veterans History Project in February 2002 and has submitted more interviews to the collection on behalf of Indiana than any other state.

The more than 6,100 Lugar submissions account for almost 20 percent of the Library's entire Veterans History Project collection. The histories will be permanently archived by the Library of Congress and over time will be available for research and study.

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Dates To Remember

February

1-28: Black History Month. Established as Negro History Week in 1926, the observance was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1976 during America’s Bicentennial activities.

4: USO Birthday. Founded on February 4, 1941 the USO was a collaborative effort of the Salvation Army, the YMCA, the YWCA, the National Jewish Welfare Board and the National Catholic Community Service to provide recreational leave for members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

March

1-31: Women’s History Month. The observance, begun in 1981 as National Women’s History Week, expanded to a month-long celebration in 1987.

April

2-8: National Library Week. First observed in 1958, this national event is sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country to celebrate the contributions of our nations libraries and libraries to library use and support.

May

1-31: National Military Appreciation month. Designed by Congress in 1999, the month is set aside to honor our military and acknowledge its history.

1-31: Asian-American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. At the direction of the U.S. Congress, the first Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Week was observed in May 1979, and was expanded to a month long celebration in 1990.

8: V-E Day. The anniversary of the Germany unconditional surrender in 1945, ending WWII in Europe.

9: Military Spouse Day. A day to honor military spouses for the support they give to their own and other military families, to honor the contributions to their community and to acknowledge the sacrifice they make in support of their country. It was first observed in 1984.

20: Armed Forces Day. In existence since 1947, this is a day of combined celebration and honor for all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

22: National Maritime Day. The U.S. Congress approved in 1933 this annual day of tribute to the U.S. Merchant Marine.

29: Memorial Day, Observed. Originally titled Decoration Day, this annual observance days back to May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery by the Grand Army of the Republic.

June

6: D-Day Anniversary. The anniversary of the WWII Allied invasion of Europe, 1944.

14: Flag Day. The anniversary of the 1777 adoption by the Continental Congress the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.

14: U.S. Army Birthday. The service was established on this date in 1775.

14-July 4: Honor America Days. The U.S. Congress dedicated this period as “21 Days to Honor America” with the intent that Americans will observe it with public gatherings and activities that salute our nation and freedom.

July

2: U.S. Army Air Corps Birthday. The Air Corps became the aviation branch of the U.S. Army in 1928.

4: Independence Day. The anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

27: National Korean War Veterans Day. The anniversary of the 1953 signing of the armistice that ended the three year Korean War.

August

4: U.S. Coast Guard Birthday. The forerunner of the service, the Revenue Cutter Service, was established on this date in 1790.

7: Purple Heart Day. A day to remember and recognize Purple Heart recipients–members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded or killed, died as a result of would in battle, or otherwise designed by the President o the United States. General George Washington first awarded this medal on August 7, 1782, as the Badge of Military Merit.

14: V-J Day. Anniversary of the 1945 informal surrender of Japan, effectively ending WWII.