Stories From America’s Conflicts

Veterans, Share Your Stories

Encouraging Veterans to Share Their War Experiences

How to Begin
Submit Your Story
Veterans Oral History Websites

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.  And, though difficult, sharing these stories can have a powerful healing effect both for veterans and their families. The form below provides an opportunity for you to write about your experiences.  Sometimes sharing your story the first time is the most difficult part of all. 

Please share your story with us by submitting answers to some or all of the questions below. We have posted a sampling of the submissions we have received and will post more in the future.

Please indicate on the form whether we have your permission to post your submission.

How to Begin

The following questions were developed to help start the conversation.

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

The above questionnaire was compiled by Helen Fitzgerald (CT), author and lecturer, and her husband, a veteran of WWII.  Source material is from the website of the National World War II Museum New Orleans.

Veterans Oral History Sites

There are many organizations striving to preserve the oral histories of veterans of America’s conflicts, such as:

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project
Collects and preserves the extraordinary wartime stories of ordinary people.

The National WWII Museum
Preserves the stories of those who fought in, supported and lived through WWII.

Utah Education Network: Veterans’ Oral History Resources
A lecture series of veterans’ remembrances that can be downloaded and listened to from the website.

The Vietnam Center and Archive Oral History Project
This project seeks to create a more complete record of the wars in Southeast Asia by preserving, through recorded interviews, the recollections and experiences of all who were involved. Anyone can participate.

How to Begin

The form below is to write a remembrance in honor of your friend or loved one. All submissions will be delivered to the appropriate memorial in the fall of 2009.

If you do not want your submission to appear on this website, please write “Private” in the subject box.  It will be sent to the “moderation queue” but it will not be published online.  Instead, it will be delivered to the memorial only.

If you want your submission to appear on this website anonymously, please write “Publish Without My Name” in the subject box.

By submitting this comment, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policies.

Please provide the information below to share your story: