Shinseki Announces Veterans' Stories Posted on VA's Web Page

Countdown to Veterans Day with Library of Congress

WASHINGTON Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will join
with the Library of Congress to host a "Veterans History Countdown" on the VA
Web site - www.va.gov - featuring the oral histories of Veterans from every
state and U.S. territory.

"VA has partnered with the Library of Congress to honor our Veterans, preserve
their histories and ensure that their service, sacrifice and heroism will
never be forgotten," said Secretary Shinseki. "We want to encourage Americans
to record the oral histories of Veterans for future generations."

Each day, beginning Nov. 1, VA's Web feature will introduce new personal
histories, culminating on Veterans Day when a Veteran's history from each
state and U.S. territory will be available simply by clicking on the U.S. map
in the display.

As Veterans Day approaches, the VA Web display will urge Americans to "Honor
our Veterans. Record their Histories!" The display will link to the library's
Veterans History Project Web site -- www.loc.gov/vets -- which provides
background about the program, a guide for volunteers to follow in recording
and submitting Veterans' oral histories and to access the project's extensive
digital archive.

VA has collaborated with the Veterans History Project since its implementing
legislation was signed into law on Oct. 27, 2000. VA Voluntary Service has
made oral history recording part of its program. VA offers Veterans the
opportunity to record their histories at its facilities and special events.
These collections of first-hand accounts are archived in the American Folklife
Center at the Library of Congress.

"We hope the Veterans History Countdown will serve as a call to action for
volunteers to record the first-hand stories of the Veterans they
know--relatives, neighbors, friends," said Bob Patrick, director of the
Veterans History Project.

The Veterans History Project collects and preserves the remembrances of
American war Veterans and civilian workers who supported them.

The recordings make accessible the first-hand remembrances of American wartime
Veterans from World War I through the current conflicts in Iraq and
Afghanistan so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and
better understand the realities of war. Approximately 65,000 individual
stories comprise the collection of the Veterans History Project.

The project relies on volunteers to record Veterans' remembrances using
guidelines accessible at www.loc.gov/vets/. Volunteer interviewers may
request information at vohp@loc.gov or the toll-free message line at (888)
371-5848.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-461-7600