War is not an easy topic to discuss. Especially from the perspective of the brave men and women who fight them and are the keepers of the stories, but those stories are a large part of our American history, and are critical to the collective memory of our national heritage.
According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, a projected 1,000 WWII veterans pass away each day. These members of "The Greatest Generation" are becoming an increasingly scarce commodity and, for the family, friends and historians who cherish them and desire to preserve their legacies, finding the right time and the right way to help tell the story can be a delicate and complicated process.
"We need to let people tell their stories, we need to honor their service. It brings families closer together and allows people to pass along what they learned to future generations," said Jay McChord, 9th district council representative and one of a group developing a field kit for veterans to submit photos and stories of their experiences. "What we found was that we needed some kind of field guide that provided a tool to help prompt them when they're ready."
And it seems there is a groundswell of veterans who realize the importance of sharing. "I had a friend say to me, 'Jay, I don't want to talk about it, but if I don't tell, no one will know what I did.'ÖInitially, the idea was to create a book of veterans' photos and tell stories from Kentucky, but Joe (Lane, see story opposite) helped make the connection that there were national opportunities for this," said McChord.
In fact, the American Folk Life Center at the Library of Congress has also begun gathering histories from veterans and McChord says they have aligned their efforts and questions to support a potential sharing of information in the future.
The result is a field kit that prompts veterans with specific questions, allows photo submissions, and includes a waiver and release for the use of information submitted. "This is designed to be the most valued possession of a family," says McChord.
McChord anticipates a release of the first run of field kits around the 4th of July holiday, and is currently working with veterans groups and other interested parties on distribution and fundraising opportunities for veterans groups. The cost of the book is small and they could be offered through local America Legions or the USO (United Service Organizations). "There could be a whole economy built around these books, with proceeds going to benefit veterans projects," he says.
For more information on obtaining field kits, call (859) 648-0664.,/i>