RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Tx –
When a veteran passes away, the stories and memories about the wars they fought in will go with them if not recorded and preserved.
The San Antonio USO, along with the Library of Congress, is encouraging the Team Randolph community to come forward with their wartime experiences through the Veterans History Project.
The Veterans History Project, which was created by Congress in 2000, is part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The project's purpose is to collect and record the personal stories of veterans and home-front civilians who worked in support of the military in past conflicts so that they can be shared with current and future generations.
With the help of volunteers and local college students, the USO has started interviewing local veterans and civilians who want to share their wartime stories.
Luis Sandoval, San Antonio USO volunteer coordinator, said the local USO chapter decided to take part in the Veterans History Project to give veterans and civilians, who might not otherwise have the opportunity, a chance to tell their wartime stories.
"We are losing our veterans day by day," Mr. Sandoval said. "Just like our World War II veterans, we will start to lose our Korean and Vietnam veterans. We want to make sure their stories are told before they are gone."
Mr. Sandoval said he has been spreading the word about the project to USO volunteers, area VFW posts and to guests who come into the USO office in downtown San Antonio.
Many people have expressed an interest in helping out and more volunteers are needed to conduct the interviews, Mr. Sandoval said.
"The response has been pretty positive," he said. "We already have dozens of interviews set up with veterans from World War II to Desert Storm."
Tech Sgt. Tracy English, 37th Flying Training Wing Historian at Lackland Air Force Base, said he has been working on the Veterans History Project with University of Texas at San Antonio students for the last four years.
"I am really glad the ball is rolling in San Antonio on the Veterans History Project," the sergeant said. "Because this is 'Military City USA,' we have veterans all over the place who want to tell their stories. It takes a lot of time and people to interview, record and capture these stories."
Sergeant English said he has gone to UTSA and San Antonio College to teach the students about the interview process from using the audio and video equipment to transcribing the veterans' answers.
When the veterans are interviewed, an audio or videotape tape is used. Once the interview, which is 30 to 45 minutes long, is completed the students write out a transcript of it and have the veteran who was interviewed look it over. If no changes need to be made and the veteran signs off on the transcript, it is sent to Sergeant English.
Once Sergeant English gets the interview audio or video and the transcript, he will make a copy of both for the Lackland archives and the USO, which is planning to set up their own collection of interviews at their local office. The originals will be sent to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
The sergeant said the students who have participated in the project have taken it to heart.
"The students who have been doing this know what they are doing," he said. "They are learning the other side of the story not given in a movie, class or history book."
Dr. Irma Ned Bailey, professor of English at San Antonio College, said by being a part of the Veterans History Project her 20 freshman students will get to do two things - learn something about their country's history while becoming better writers in their composition course.
"The students are really getting interested in this project," she said. "They are enjoying it and working hard. The students are learning how to do interviews and transcribing the information from those interviews. The information they get from the interviews will help them with their research and writing skills. What the veterans tell them will give them topics and ideas for their term papers."
Mr. Sandoval said other college instructors have expressed an interest in having their classes participate in the project next spring.
People who want to volunteer to conduct interviews can contact Sandoval at 227-9373, ext. 11, or at lsandoval@alamouso.org. Any veteran or civilian who wants to be interviewed should also contact Sandoval.
Anyone who is interested in researching the veterans' interviews at Lackland can contact Sergeant English at 671-2211 or 37TRW.HO@lackland.af.mil.