Local veterans will have an opportunity to share their military experiences during Veterans History Project sessions scheduled for Dec. 9 and 16 at Pachuta Public Library. Both sessions begin at 9:30 a.m.
The project, administered by the Library of Congress, preserves the personal stories of U.S. military veterans. The collection includes accounts dating from World War I through more recent conflicts, as well as peacetime service.
Through recorded interviews and personal contributions, the project gives veterans a chance to tell their stories in their own words. The goal is to help future generations understand military service through the eyes of those who lived it.
Combat experience is not required. All U.S. military veterans are welcome to participate, regardless of when or where they served. Their stories will become part of a national collection that includes oral histories, letters, photographs and personal memoirs.
Mississippi has more than 182,000 living veterans, yet only a little more than 500 oral histories from the state are currently preserved in the national collection.
The Mississippi Library Commission is working to change that. Through partnerships with public libraries, the commission is helping veterans across the state share their experiences so those stories can be preserved for future generations.
The December sessions at Pachuta Public Library offer area veterans a chance to add their voices to that effort. Each story helps preserve a piece of history that might otherwise go untold.
The library is located at 15357 Highway 11 North in Pachuta. For information about participating, call the library at 601-776-7209. Veterans also may contact the Mississippi Library Commission at 601-432-4157 or email VHP@mlc.lib.ms.us. More information is available at www.mlc.lib.ms.us/america-250/veterans-history-project/.
