Floor Statements
November 8, 2007
Media Contact: Ray Yonkura
(202) 225-2676
Jordan Column: Honoring Veterans By Preserving Their Stories
Washington, DC -- Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) today released the following Veterans Day column:
This weekend, our nation marks Veterans Day, an observance established to commemorate the end of World War I in 1918. That war can seem to many like ancient history, eclipsed by other conflicts in the last 90 years that have changed the landscape of the world and helped free countless millions from the bonds of tyranny.
While the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates the total veteran population of our country at 24 million, only three U.S. veterans of World War I survive--this from among the 4.7 million Americans who served during that time. Only 3 million American veterans of the Second World War remain from the more than 16 million who fought in that conflict.
With the passing of every veteran, we lose not only a brave defender of our great nation, but also the individual memories of that veteran’s experiences in service to us all.
Families know just what a privilege it is to listen to the personal stories of their relatives’ military service. I have had the honor of meeting with many veterans during my time in Congress--some during my visits to our VA clinics in Lima, Mansfield, and Marion--and appreciate every chance I get to hear about their experiences firsthand. Everyone who has served in the military--in peacetime or at war--has valuable stories to share.
There is simply no substitute for the memories of veterans told in their own words. It is vital, therefore, that we do a better job of collecting these memories--and the memories of everyone who aided past war efforts in any capacity, at home or abroad.
Thankfully, the Library of Congress is working to ensure that these stories are collected, preserved, and communicated to current and future generations.
Since 2000, by direction of Congress, the Library has overseen the Veterans History Project: an ambitious effort to collect oral and written history interviews, letters, diaries, pictures, scrapbooks, and other material from veterans of every conflict of the 20th and 21st Centuries.
Numerous veterans from across the country are already participating in the Project, having contributed their stories, photographs, and other material. These items have been scanned and entered into a searchable Library of Congress database. The original materials are being preserved as part of the Library’s 135-million-item inventory.
Our veterans groups have led the charge in contributing to the Project. I am grateful to the American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, the VFW, and dozens of other civic organizations and historical foundations for participating in the Project.
I would encourage all residents of our congressional district to consider helping out with the Veterans History Project. If you are a veteran, please know that we would all benefit from learning of your personal experiences in service to our nation. You performed extraordinary work on our behalf; your stories will add value and realism to a history that can seem all too distant and disconnected from today’s world.
If you are not a veteran, you can play an important role in helping veterans tell their stories. Members of community and school groups, Scout troops, and church organizations can sit down with family members, neighbors, and others who have served and ask them questions about their experiences. The Project’s website has helpful suggestions on how to conduct interviews and assist veterans in writing their memoirs, leaving a written legacy for all time.
For information on how to contribute to the Veterans History Project--or to read the personal accounts of brave Americans who helped defend our freedom--please visit the Project’s website at www.loc.gov/vets. You may also call the Library of Congress toll-free at 888-371-5848, or contact my Washington office at 202-225-2676 for more information.
As we pause this Veterans Day to honor the sacrifices of our veterans, we know that we can never adequately thank them for their service. It is vital that we do right by them--not only through the work of Congress to make sure they get the benefits they are due, but also in helping to preserve and communicate their stories. I hope that everyone will consider participating in this important historical project.
