Library of Congress seeks stories from Kansas veterans. Here’s how to share yours

Veterans who are wanting to share their stories with the Library of Congress will have an opportunity to do so here in Wichita.

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project has partnered with the American Red Cross to listen to veterans’ stories on June 8 at the Red Cross of South Central and Southeast Kansas, 707 N. Main.

All U.S. veterans are welcome to share their stories, including those who didn’t see combat.

To share your story, you may sign up by emailing Shannon Wedge at Shannon.Wedge@redcross.org or calling 316-347-0719. Walk-in interview requests are not guaranteed due to anticipated demand, but they will be accepted if time allows.

Interviews typically last 30 to 60 minutes.

Veterans are also encouraged to bring original documents they may want to donate.

Documents and personal narratives will become part of a permanent collection at the Library of Congress, which is available to researchers and the public via the American Folklife Center Reading Room and the Veterans History Project website.

What is the Veterans History Project?

The Veterans History Project has been collecting and preserving the oral history interviews of U.S. military veterans since 2000.

The collection now includes more than 119,000 stories from World War I to present day, along with veterans’ photographs, letters and journal entries.

“Rich in scope and content, these first-person accounts are fascinating primary historical sources that enliven and enrich our understanding of the military service experience,” the project states.

The collections are viewed by more than 3 million researchers each year and have been used as sources for research, documentaries and creative projects.