Have you heard the untold stories of our veterans? Most of the military service stories we hear focus on generals or Medal of Honor recipients, but the experiences of everyday servicemembers are just as vital. Did you know the Library of Congress is recording these stories for posterity?
Attending the SVA National Conference and Learning about the Veterans History Project
In January 2025, Tommy Hendler (the Vice President of the University’s chapter of the Student Veterans of America [SVA]) and I represented the University at the Student Veterans of America National Conference.
During this conference (also known as NatCon), we attended a breakout session with the Library of Congress, learned about the Veterans History Project, and were even trained to be interviewers. This project involves recording the stories of veterans from various conflicts, beginning with World War I.
Recording Veteran Stories as SVA’s Legacy Project
After NatCon, we realized that recording stories to contribute to the Veterans History Project was precisely the meaningful initiative we had been seeking and decided to implement it as our chapter’s Legacy Project. We drafted a proposal for Student Affairs to appoint officers at large within our chapter, train them as interviewers, and begin recording veterans’ stories to send to the Library of Congress. Student Affairs approved the request, and we got started!
Over the next several months, we built processes, conducted a few pilot interviews, and expanded our team. Alumni Cole Johnson, Jessica Girdler and Adrian Florez joined the Legacy Project team to help scale our efforts.
Don’t Let Your Veteran Story Go Untold – Sign Up to Be Interviewed
Now, we are prepared to move forward with preserving the stories of our veterans, and we want our military veterans to be part of it.
Every veteran’s story matters. It’s not just about the stories told in history books, but the experiences, lessons, and memories of everyday servicemembers. Preserving these stories ensures that future historians, storytellers, and creators get it right, and it honors the service of people who are often unrecognized by history.
Don’t let your story go untold. Be part of our Legacy Project and preserve your experiences for future generations. Sign up to be interviewed, and we’ll be in touch!
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