About the Project
The U.S. Congress voted unanimously for legislation to create the Veterans History Project on October 27, 2000, through Public Law 106-380. Congress recognized the urgency of collecting wartime memories, which become more precious as the number of veterans dwindles by 1,500 every day. Congress also saw the value of engaging the American public in its own history. The legislation calls upon the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to collect and preserve audio and videotaped 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.
Today's generation and future Americans have much to learn from those who served. A national collection of personal histories on audio and video tape as well as letters, diaries, maps, photographs and home movies will be of immeasurable value to historians, educators, students, authors, filmmakers, and family members.
The Veterans History Project encompasses veterans of World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars. By "Veterans," we mean all veterans, men and women, those who served in war and in support of combat operations, all ranks in all branches of service--the Army Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. We also include the Merchant Marine, those involved in home front activities and citizens who supported the armed services.
Today's generation and future Americans have much to learn from those who served. A national collection of personal histories on audio and video tape as well as letters, diaries, maps, photographs and home movies will be of immeasurable value to historians, educators, students, authors, filmmakers, and family members.
The Veterans History Project encompasses veterans of World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars. By "Veterans," we mean all veterans, men and women, those who served in war and in support of combat operations, all ranks in all branches of service--the Army Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. We also include the Merchant Marine, those involved in home front activities and citizens who supported the armed services.
The Pajaro Valley Veterans History Project is promoting a "Story Tellers" event on Veterans Day November 11, 2002. The "Story Tellers" are men and women who are Veterans and live in and around the Pajaro Valley in California. They were encouraged to speak freely and from their hearts. They spoke before a small audience and were video recorded. Some of the footage was intended to be included in a half hour documentary on Veteran's Stories for Public Access Television.
The Pajaro Veterans Committee spread the word that military memorabilia would be displayed at the venue during the month of November. The American Legion contributed many photos for this display. Many veterans brought photo albums, books, uniforms, photos and certificates. Throughout the day of November 11, hundreds of people viewed the exhibit and listened to the veterans tell their stories.
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Pajaro Valley Veterans History Project Committee: Jose Torres-Chairman, Greg Capu, and Ray AmRhein |
Local schools have shown interest in having some of the veterans speak to their students for special assemblies as in one high school who would like veterans to speak for their "Day of Respect."
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Methodology for Telling a Veteran's Story
Give the Audience What They Want
•Audience wants to know what it was like
•Audience wants to be entertained
•Audience wants new information
•Audience is looking for heroes
•Audience wants the short story version
Prepare the Story Teller
•Conduct a mock interview
•Discover the most interesting story
•Have the Story Teller repeat that story
•Give the Story Teller an outline of his presentation
•Audience wants to know what it was like
•Audience wants to be entertained
•Audience wants new information
•Audience is looking for heroes
•Audience wants the short story version
Prepare the Story Teller
•Conduct a mock interview
•Discover the most interesting story
•Have the Story Teller repeat that story
•Give the Story Teller an outline of his presentation
Interview with Howard McDonald [5 min 29 sec]
Interview with Frank Adamson [3 min 16 sec]
Give the Story Teller Valid Reasons for Telling Their Story(s)
•Preservation of a valuable piece of information that can be given to historians/researchers to piece together a
historical event
•Preservation of documents, maps and photographs
•Preservation of historical event in their own words
Presented Veterans With a Gift on Presentation Day
•It showed respect
•It thanked them for their service
•It thanked them for their courage in the telling of their story
•Preservation of a valuable piece of information that can be given to historians/researchers to piece together a
historical event
•Preservation of documents, maps and photographs
•Preservation of historical event in their own words
Presented Veterans With a Gift on Presentation Day
•It showed respect
•It thanked them for their service
•It thanked them for their courage in the telling of their story
The Story Tellers and Story Topics
Danny Mander [WWII] - Sergeant British Army
Author: Multimedia book Winston Churchill's Bodyguard
Story: Carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt from his car to his wheel chair
Frank Adamson [WWII] - Merchant Marine
Author: Multimedia book Seafaring
Story: While ship was docked in Bagdad, the type of cargo and it's movement gave clues to troop activity
John Ramirez, Jr. [Vietnam] - E-4, 26th Marines, 3rd, 7#, 1st Marines
Awards: 2 Purple Hearts
Story: His mother requested Red Cross to find her son and send him home
Ray Zager [WWII]- U.S. Army
Author: Private Zager
Story: Liberating the concentration camp Gunskirchenlager in Austria
Anecdote: Meeting General Patton and firing Patton's pistol
Don Cooley [WWII] - Corporal, 1st Bn, Hq Co., 423rd Regiment, 106th Infantry Division
Awards: Purple Heart, Bronze Star, CIB
Story: Captured at the "Battle of the Bulge" POW until April 1945 at Stalag 4B, Germany
Howard McDonald [WWII] - U.S. Navy
Story: The mail is as important as a meal
Jose Torres [Vietnam] - USMC
Story: Overcame his childhood asthma to become a one man counterinsurgency operation deep into enemy territory, gathered intelligence for TET offensive
Mike Kinsella [Vietnam] Sergeant E5 - Army, 1st Bn, 25th Infantry Division
Awards: Purple Heart, Bronze Star
Story: Tet Offensive (enemy attacks all over Vietnam), the impact that death and destruction had on him
Rick Sanchez [Grenada] Corporal - USMC, 1st Bn,6th Marines & 1st Bn 2nd Marines
Story: On way to Grenada, unit sent to Honduras for live fire exercise (combat mission) and preparing for the Gulf War
David Allison, Sr. [Korea] - USMC
Story: The experience of having waves of Chinese coming at him
Anecdote: Off duty in Barstow was called to volunteer to be used as test subject for the hydrogen bomb
Hank F. Cordona [Korea] s/sgt - U.S. Air Force, 15th Air Force
Story: The B36 Bomber, the largest of its time
Anecdote: Meeting a young Ronald Regan
Ray AmRhein [WWII] - U.S. Navy, USS BlackHawk (Destroyer)
Story: Mare Island Naval Ship Yard, Rigging for Destroyers
Anecdote: Story of the Black Hawk being the ship referred to in the novel, stage play and movie, Mr. Roberts
Alternate Speaker
William P. Murphy [WWII] Staff Sergeant- Marines, 7th Regiment, 1st Division, Weapons Company
Awards: Battle Star Okinawa
Story: Battle of Okinawa
Anecdote: His mother was a nurse in WWI
Author: Multimedia book Winston Churchill's Bodyguard
Story: Carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt from his car to his wheel chair
Frank Adamson [WWII] - Merchant Marine
Author: Multimedia book Seafaring
Story: While ship was docked in Bagdad, the type of cargo and it's movement gave clues to troop activity
John Ramirez, Jr. [Vietnam] - E-4, 26th Marines, 3rd, 7#, 1st Marines
Awards: 2 Purple Hearts
Story: His mother requested Red Cross to find her son and send him home
Ray Zager [WWII]- U.S. Army
Author: Private Zager
Story: Liberating the concentration camp Gunskirchenlager in Austria
Anecdote: Meeting General Patton and firing Patton's pistol
Don Cooley [WWII] - Corporal, 1st Bn, Hq Co., 423rd Regiment, 106th Infantry Division
Awards: Purple Heart, Bronze Star, CIB
Story: Captured at the "Battle of the Bulge" POW until April 1945 at Stalag 4B, Germany
Howard McDonald [WWII] - U.S. Navy
Story: The mail is as important as a meal
Jose Torres [Vietnam] - USMC
Story: Overcame his childhood asthma to become a one man counterinsurgency operation deep into enemy territory, gathered intelligence for TET offensive
Mike Kinsella [Vietnam] Sergeant E5 - Army, 1st Bn, 25th Infantry Division
Awards: Purple Heart, Bronze Star
Story: Tet Offensive (enemy attacks all over Vietnam), the impact that death and destruction had on him
Rick Sanchez [Grenada] Corporal - USMC, 1st Bn,6th Marines & 1st Bn 2nd Marines
Story: On way to Grenada, unit sent to Honduras for live fire exercise (combat mission) and preparing for the Gulf War
David Allison, Sr. [Korea] - USMC
Story: The experience of having waves of Chinese coming at him
Anecdote: Off duty in Barstow was called to volunteer to be used as test subject for the hydrogen bomb
Hank F. Cordona [Korea] s/sgt - U.S. Air Force, 15th Air Force
Story: The B36 Bomber, the largest of its time
Anecdote: Meeting a young Ronald Regan
Ray AmRhein [WWII] - U.S. Navy, USS BlackHawk (Destroyer)
Story: Mare Island Naval Ship Yard, Rigging for Destroyers
Anecdote: Story of the Black Hawk being the ship referred to in the novel, stage play and movie, Mr. Roberts
Alternate Speaker
William P. Murphy [WWII] Staff Sergeant- Marines, 7th Regiment, 1st Division, Weapons Company
Awards: Battle Star Okinawa
Story: Battle of Okinawa
Anecdote: His mother was a nurse in WWI
Public Engagement for Event
Ad campaign
Day of Respect
Veterans Day
left to right - Danny Mander, Frank Adamson, A. Dennis Gaxiola
Story Tellers on Veterans Day telling their story(s) to an audience and to the camera.
Danny Mander Video [02 min 03 sec]
Jose Torres Video [28 min 30 sec]
Suffering with Asthma [3 min 38 sec]
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Joining the Marines will kill me or heal me [3 min 43 sec]
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Serving my Country in Vietnam [14 min 14 sec]
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My Unwelcomed Homecoming
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