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Message From The Detachment Coordinator
About The Project
Goals
Mission Statement
Become A Part Of History
Local Education Projects = Contacts Needed!!!
Contact Information
Email Me


About the Veterans History Project
There are 19 million war veterans living in the United States today, but every day we lose 1,500 of them. Motivated by the urgent need to collect the stories and experiences of war veterans while they are still among us, the United States Congress created the Veterans History Project. The authorizing legislation, sponsored by Representatives Ron Kind, Amo Houghton, and Steny Hoyer in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senators Max Cleland and Chuck Hagel in the U.S. Senate, received unanimous support and was signed into law by President Clinton on October 27, 2000. Public Law 106-380 calls upon the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to collect and preserve audio- and video-taped oral histories, along with documentary materials such as letters, diaries, maps, photographs, and home movies, of America's war veterans and those who served in support of them.

The Veterans History Project covers World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars. It includes all participants of those wars--men and women, civilian and military. It documents the contributions of civilian volunteers, support staff, and war industry workers as well as the experiences of military personnel from all ranks and all branches of service--the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.

Knowing that this and future generations of Americans have much to learn from those who served, we at the Library of Congress and the American Folklife Center have embraced this project. We encourage you to read the information and instructions on this Web site and to join us in making the Veterans History Project a success.

Our Five-Star Council

Assisting us in our work is our Five-Star Council. This is a group of prominent leaders invited by the Librarian of Congress to advise the project and bring it increased visibility nationwide. Members of the Five-Star Council include veterans, elected officials, historians, and journalists, each with a relevant personal connection to this endeavor

Mission Statement
The mission of the Veterans History Project is to collect the memories, accounts, and documents of war veterans and of those who served in support of them during World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars, and to preserve their stories of experience and service for future generations.


Goals

     

  • To stimulate opportunities for public learning, by inviting, advising, and supporting individuals and groups as participants in the Veterans History Project.
  • To engage veterans associations, military organizations, institutions of higher learning, historical societies, civic groups, and ongoing veterans oral history projects as partners in the effort to identify, interview, and collect documents from war veterans and those who served in support of them.
  • To preserve and present the collected materials to the public, through the National Digital Library Program, exhibitions, publications, and public programs.
  • To identify existing and ongoing veterans oral history programs and archives, and recognize and work with them to expand the Library's Veterans History Project initiative.
  • To create a comprehensive, searchable national catalog of all oral histories and other documentation collected as a result of this project.



VETERAN'S HISTORY PROJECT - Message From The History Coordinator For MCL Detachment 696

In association with the Library of Congress and the American Folklife Center our Detachment is a partner in the Veteran's History Project.  Although this project involves all the branches of the military (and the Merchant Marine) I feel that our detachment members who are willing to participate by agreeing to be interviewed, or who are willing to donate an artifact related to their service to our Country to this project, or can assist me in any manner possible will give me an excellent start in the HISTORY PROJECT.

Both the Historical Branch at Headquarters Marine Corps, and the Marine Corps Heritage Museum (Archives Section) have endorsed this project. The former will handle all the Oral Histories that come in from Marines, their families, dependents, etc. The latter will take care of the letters, maps, and other artifacts that are collected. In general it will be my job to gather and forward both oral histories and artifacts to Colonel Stewart who will route them to the proper repository - based on what it is. The Colonel will also catalog everything, give proper credit, and clarify the material with me so that proper credit will be given.

Although my role as our Detachment's Volunteer Interviewer will be to collect artifacts, and record interviews my primary focus will be on the latter.

While the general Goals , and the Mission Statement that appear elsewhere on this page will give you an idea as to what the PROJECT is about I would like to offer my personnel opinion as to why I feel this project is worthwhile. In my mind I feel that it is important to record first hand accounts of the experiences of our fellow Veterans, as well as what their roles were in the military and what these roles entailed for future generations, historians, students, authors,  filmmakes, families and relatives of individual Veterans, and researchers. In other words the interviews and other documentation we collect will become part of the permanent historical record of our nation. Artifacts collected will be used in the same manner. In addition the Library of Congress Web Site will present selections from some of the recorded histories, letters, and other documents, making them available to millions of our fellow Americans.

Another part of the VETERAN'S  HISTORY PROJECT is to Educate The Public. This is an area that I need YOUR ASSISTANCE to help accomplish. Because I'm a new resident of California I have no contacts with schools, youth groups, and other such organizations. If you know of any teachers, schools, scout leaders, and so forth who might be interested in inviting a guest speaker who can relate their military experience, personal historic insights, or answer questions related to the Vietnam War please contact me as soon as possible. Over the past few years I have answered hundreds of questions about Vietnam put to me by students both in the United States, and other countries.

As mentioned in the above paragraph I'm new to California. Part of my role in the PROJECT is to contact other Veteran Organizations in our area in order to inform them about this worthwhile endeavor. Please get in touch with me as soon as possible if you can assist me in contacting any of these outside organizations.

 

What You Can Do

  • Agree to be interviewed!!!! You will be asked to sign a release form that grants  the Library of Congress ownership of the physical property delivered to the Library and the right to use the property that is the product of your participation (for example, my interview, performance, photographs, artifacts, and written materials) in the HISTORY PROJECT. ALL INTERVIEWS WILL BE RECORDED.

  • Donate a letter, photograph, documents, or other artifacts to the project. As noted above you will be asked to sign a release form.

  • Help us to locate other Veterans who are willing to become participants in the Project.

  • Help us to locate and contact Youth Organizations for "Living Oral Histories" programs.

  • Help us to locate and contact other Veteran Organizations in our area.

  • Although our Detachment Commander has volunteered the use of his audio tape recorder so that interviews can be recorded, we certainly can make use of other items that will be helpful in this PROJECT. If you have a video camera, and you'll willing to record an interview, or interviews we'll put you to work. I will be donating audio tapes for the interviews, but if you'd like to donate some I won't turn them down.

  • Donate Postage Funds. At this time I will be paying all costs for our involvement in this PROJECT. I've no problem in doing so, but if you'd like to earmark some funds to help out please contact me.

  • You will receive full credit and recognition for your involvement or donation.

  • Become a Committee Member and Get Involved. Whatever you can do to assist us will be greatly appreciated!!

  • Contact Me.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Please contact me if you are willing to participate in any manner. This includes being interviewed, contacting outside organizations, or other Veterans.
By Phone = I am at home nearly all the time, so give me a call at 909 279 8055. If I'm not here please leave a message and I'll return your call asap. Don't forget to leave your full name and telephone number.
By Email = write to me at MLerp@email.msn.com Please type Veterans History Project MCL #696 in the subject heading. Include your full name, phone number, postal mailing address in the body message.
By Postal Mail = I highly recommend that you either call or email me, but if you'd like to write my mailing address is 4435 Capri Circle, Norco, CA 92860
Thank You - Mike "Doc" Lerp