“I was drafted in Aug of 1969 into the Army as a combat engineer. Went thru Non Commissioned Officer school and then shipped oout to Viet Nam. While on tour I was directly involved when one of my men showed extreme bravery and a truely unselfish act. PFC Mikel Eugene Dixon gave the utimate sacrifce as he volunteered to retrieve some of our equipment that "charlie" had floated across the river at Quang Tri. I hope to find any family he may have, so I can tell them of this truly brave man. He was from Pilot Mountain, NC. This may also help me to bring closure to this incident.”

SGT John Compton

remembering our fallen

Veterans, Share Your Stories

Encouraging Veterans to Share Their War Experiences

How to Begin
Submit Your Story

A veteran of World War II attends the concert in 2007

There is much to learn from our nation’s veterans; however, for some, it can be painful to revisit the memories and difficult to talk about the experiences of war. Families and friends are often very curious about those times, but, because the veteran may not bring them up, the loved ones feel they shouldn't either. Each veteran’s experience with war is an important part of history that should be passed on to future generations.

How to Begin

Please share your story with us by answering some of the following questions:

What was your reason for enlisting, or were you drafted?
In which branch of the military did you serve?
What was basic training like?
What was your military specialty (infantry, artillery, airborne, armor)?
When you think about your war experiences, what is the thought that first comes to mind?
What was your best experience?
What was the worst experience?
Among your leaders and colleagues, whose story is the most compelling for you? What makes it so compelling?
How did you cope with the frustrations and horror of war?
What would you most like your family and friends to understand about your war experience?

Source material is from the website of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

Submit Your Story

If you are a veteran, please share your experience in the box below. This section can also be used to document an interview you have done with a veteran or write a remembrance in honor of a veteran.

To upload a photo, use the "Image" button to the lower left of your comment box. Or submit a video by uploading it to YouTube and copy/pasting the URL of your YouTube video into the box below, together with your comment.

Please provide the information below to share your story:

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