I’m writing to invite veterans and Boy and Girl Scouts to participate in a unique initiative I am bringing to our community: The Library of Congress’s Veterans Oral History Project. Too often, the sacrifices that our veterans make are forgotten with time. As the years go by, the stories and legacies of the Greatest Generation – those who grew up during the Great Depression and fought in World War II – are passing with those who fought.
The Library of Congress Veterans Oral History program will train Long Island Eagle Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts to conduct interviews with veterans and record their stories. The interviews will be included in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress so that future generations can hear directly from these heroes, in their own words and in their own voices.
Today, as our troops fight in Afghanistan and Iraq and become our next generation of combat-hardened veterans, we must increase our efforts to honor and recognize the service and sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform. There is no better way to do this than recording our veterans’ incredible stories for future generations. Too many young Americans don’t realize the true price for their freedom. The Veterans History project will be a way to teach them the lessons of the past – while preserving their stories for the future.
The Library of Congress will be conducting a training session for Boy and Girl Scouts who wish to conduct Oral History interviews on August 25. If you know of a Scout who may be interested, or a veteran who may wish to be interviewed, call my office at (631)951-2210 for more details.
Congressman Steve Israel
