The library is seeking local veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom for the Veterans History Project.
Davidson County veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom are encouraged to participate in the final segment of the Nashville Public Library’s Veterans History Project, a cooperative endeavor with the Library of Congress. Veterans should contact Linda Barnickel to learn more about how to participate in this project: 862-5782.
Veterans will be asked about their military experiences, and the recordings will be made available to the public locally for research. Interviews must be scheduled by appointment. The library is also interested in donations of personal documentary materials such as letters, photographs, maps, memoirs, emails, blog posts, and similar items relating to an individual’s service. Civilians who served in an active support role (civilian contractors, USO, etc.) are also encouraged to participate.
About the Veterans History Project
The Veterans History Project was established by the United States Congress in October 2000. It called 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, and photographs of America's war veterans and those who served in support of them.
The Library of Congress' Veterans History Project covers World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars. The project has also been expanded to include veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It includes all
participants in 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.
The Special Collections Division of the
Nashville Public Library became an official partner of the Veterans History
Project in October of 2001 and serves as a repository for the materials collected.
Biographical information about participants in the project is forwarded to
the Library of Congress to be included in their National Registry of Service.
Collecting efforts have concentrated upon gathering materials relating to Nashville and Davidson County residents. Persons outside of Davidson County were often referred to the Middle Tennessee Oral History Project at the Albert Gore Research Center in Murfreesboro, or other partner institutions.
The Veterans History Project Collection in the Special Collections Division consists of recorded interviews with local veterans, and documentary materials donated by veterans or their families. Materials in the collection include letters, memoirs, scrapbooks, unit histories and unit newsletters, photographs, oral histories and transcripts, maps, and publications.
All finding Aids are in PDF format unless otherwise noted. You may download Adobe PDF Reader free here.
Episode Guide to Accompany Ken Burns’ Documentary, The War
Veterans History Project Main Finding Aid
(view specific sections of the finding aid by using the links for each war)
Veterans History Project Special Interest Categories
Veterans History Project Interview Summaries
Veterans History Project Collections At A Glance
Veterans History Project World War II Index
Listen to interview excerpts from interviews and view other materials from the Veterans History Project Collection. |
