How did the Veterans History Project start?
The United States Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000. The authorizing legislation (Public Law 106-380), sponsored by Representatives Ron Kind, Amo Houghton, and Steny Hoyer in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senators Max Cleland and Chuck Hagel in the U.S. Senate, received unanimous support and was signed into law by President William Jefferson Clinton on October 27, 2000.
The Veteran’s History Project (VHP) was founded and directed at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) by Eileen Hurst, Associate Director of the Center for Public Policy and Social Research (CPPSR). Eileen had a deep and abiding interest in and respect for the service, courage and sacrifice made by Connecticut’s veterans. Following the establishment of the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress in 2000, Eileen began conducting and videotaping oral history interviews of veterans, capturing their accounts of their service in theatres of war, all on her personal time. This project was quickly incorporated into the Governor William A. O’Neill Endowed Chair’s Oral History Program, with the unanimous approval of the O’Neill Endowed Chair Advisory Board and former Governor Bill O’Neill himself, who was a veteran of the Korean War.
How can I be interviewed?
Central Connecticut State University is an archive partner with the Library of Congress and conducts and preserves veteran and civilian oral histories in the state of Connecticut. Trained volunteers conduct interviews at Central or travel to veterans' homes.
Another option is to conduct an interview yourself or have a friend or family member assist you. The Field Kit (http://www.loc.gov/vets/kitmenu.html) provides the necessary forms and instructions you will need to conduct an interview. You may also order a printed version of the Field Kit by sending an email to vohp@loc.gov (Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery).
If you would like to be interviewed or would like to conduct an interview and share it with us, please contact us at:
Brian Matzke
Phone: 860.832.2978
Jillian Maynard
Phone: 860.832.2068
Can I interview someone and share the recording with the VHP?
Yes! As mentioned above, if you would like to conduct an interview yourself, we would be happy to include it in our collection. The previously mentioned Field Kit (http://www.loc.gov/vets/kitmenu.html) provides the necessary forms you will need to fill out, as well as sample questions to help guide the interview.
For technical help and questions about recording and format, please contact Brian Matzke at 860.832.2978 or email at bmatzke@ccsu.edu.
How will my collection be used?
All information gathered will be digitized and made available on the internet. Once all of your materials have been copied, all originals are returned to the owner.
Records including the taped interview can be found in our databases: www.ccsu.edu/vhp. Copies of your biographical data, photograph log, manuscript log and interview are also sent to the Library of Congress, where the information is archived, and you will be placed in their electronic database.
If you prefer to donate your collection to the Library of Congress directly, please visit their web site at www.loc.gov/vets for mailing instructions. When the Library of Congress has received your materials, your collection will be added to the Veterans History Project's archives. Once it is processed and housed in a preservation environment, the veteran's service history information will be available online in our online database and the interview (or other materials) will be available to researchers who visit the Library of Congress. Prospective researchers will be able to review collections by registering for a Reader Registration Card and visiting the Folklife Center Reading Room at the Library. For preservation quality purposes, the Library of Congress requests that you send original recordings, photographs, and other materials. Please make any copies you wish to retain for yourself before submitting your recording, photographs, or written materials to the Veterans History Project.
Please note that materials in our collections may be used by the Library of Congress or CCSU for special presentations and events presenting and promoting the Veterans History Project.
How can I view Veterans History Project collections?
To view Connecticut veterans' collections at Central Connecticut State University you may visit the VHP database on our website at: https://webapps.ccsu.edu/vhp/search.aspx.
For research outside of the state of Connecticut, you can conduct basic searches for lists of veterans and civilians by war, branch of service, and alphabetically using the Library of Congress’s online VHP database. You may also contact them at vohp@loc.gov or call them at (202) 707-4916 before your visit so that they can go over your research topics and help you to identify collections of interest.
Please take a moment to review the important information for prospective researchers/visitors on our research information page.
I'm not a military veteran, but I contributed to the war effort as a civilian. Do you want my story?
Yes! The Veterans History Project collects stories and materials from the homefront as well as from the battlefield. Any wartime veteran or U.S. citizen civilian who was actively involved in supporting war efforts (such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, etc.) has a story in which we are interested. The CCSU VHP is also interested in interviews with dissenters of war.
How can I watch interviews?
The actual interviews of Connecticut veterans are housed on the Central VHP YouTube page, found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/ccsuvhp. These videos are linked to each veteran’s collection via the Central VHP database.