The willingness of America's veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.
–Rep. Jeff Miller
In 2002, Judge Dane Nash sat down for an interview for the newly created Veterans History Project. He was wounded several times himself but made sure all those serving in combat are remembered:
“And I don't think nurses are thought of in terms of glory and bravery and fortitude, but probably fortitude, yes, but my point is, that absence of – is seriously erroneous; Because they were threatened. They were directly threatened by weapons, rockets and grenades. And when I say grenades, I am thinking about more properly a rocket propelled grenade. I mean they had big rockets, 120mm, they had little rockets, and small mortars and you could hear them coming into that camp.
“I wasn't free to go to a bunker, but the nurse in theory was. I mean she had legs. And she had survival instinct, but instead of yielding to her survival instinct and instead of using her legs to run away. She overrode her survival instinct and used her legs to take care of her patients. And we're taught to pride ourselves on appearance and control. It wasn't anything like that, that would attract the nurse to her patient. The only thing that attracted her was duty and her willingness to expose herself to death to ensure you weren't left alone. And I just – you know, think out of all the untold stories.”
When the Veterans History Project was passed unanimously by Congress in 2000 and signed into law by President Clinton, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said: “This project will also allow the next generation to learn about and speak to those who have fought to sustain the freedom that we find challenged throughout the world today, as well as those who kept the home front running during some of America's most difficult times. The Library is honored to add these eye- witness accounts of American history to the vast record we have preserved for more than 200 years."
In the Public law 106-380 sponsored by Reps. Ron Kind, Amo Houghton and Steny Hoyer and Senators Max Cleland and Chuck Hagel, it stated “It is in the Nation’s best interest to collect and catalog oral histories of American war veterans so that future generations will have original sources of information regarding the life and times of those who served in war and the conditions under which they endured; So that Americans will always remember those who served in war and may learn first hand of the heroics, tediousness, horrors and triumphs of war.”
The Veterans History Project collects memories of World War I, World War II, the Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. It also collects non combat veterans and civilians that actively supported war efforts (military contractors, ship builders, flight instructors, USO workers, etc).
I knew of the Veterans History Project but never had involved myself or my firm in it. Award winning filmmaker Larry Cappetto (“Lest They Be Forgotten” on PBS), whom I worked with in debuting his 9/11: A Day in Infamy film, wanted to come to and film veterans for the VHP. I contacted eight local veterans and Larry sat down and interviewed them.
I didn’t know what to expect but I received a lesson about service, sacrifice, humility and human spirit. I did not sit in on the interviews. I wanted it to be a discussion between the veteran and the filmmaker.
I asked Larry to give me his impressions of the interviews:
“I provide a very nonthreatening environment for these veterans to open up and talk with me. They know I care and am genuinely interested in their stories. Consequently they trust me and open up to me.
“I think the stories which stood out the most for me were the two veterans who served tours in Iraq. Both were so sincere and open with their remarks. Neither had ever shared their stories before. I find this freedom of expression is very common in many of the interviews I do.
“One Iraq veteran told the story of how he went to war to kick ass after 9/11 and ended up being a police officer of sorts. He became very disillusioned and to this day still wonders why he was over in Iraq. He has great respect for all veterans but is finding it hard going on with his life after military service. This veteran also lost his brother in 2005 in Iraq. Part of him died with his brother. They were very close.
“The other Iraq veteran is also struggling with civilian life after his military service. He received a traumatic brain injury while in Iraq. He is very proud of his service to our country and respectful of anyone who helps to honor our veterans.
“One veteran flew a C-130 aircraft in Vietnam. He took young fresh troops into battle and then airlifted the wounded and dead from the battlefields. What a sharp contrast of life and death.
“Another veteran performed rescue operations in Vietnam for a year. His job was to find and locate pilots who were shot down by enemy fire. Helicopters would then go into retrieve them. He also helped load the wounded and the dead into helicopters for transport.
“I believe these veterans opening up and talking is therapeutic for them and a way to lift a burden off their shoulders. I experienced this with most of the veterans I interviewed in Cottonwood.”
Veterans History project takes place all over America every day. You do not need an award winning filmmaker to contribute to this project. You need someone sensitive to the questions and the dark areas they may be going with a veteran and a video camera. I put my trust into an experienced filmmaker.
There is a VHP Field Kit that gives you all of the information you need. Go to www.loc.gov/vets/kit.html. This is an ongoing project for the Library of Congress.
One of the veterans (the C-130 pilot- career officer who retired as a Major) was an uncle of an employee of mine. The employee told me she was told to never ask about her uncle’s war service. I spoke to him after his interview. The reason he decided to tell his military history to Larry was that his father was a World War II veteran and never spoke of his service to his country. This later veteran also could never sit down and relate his experiences to his family but asked for a copy of the interview to be available to his son.
That is the necessity of these videos and recordings. War experiences or support military service is an important part of our history. It is difficult for those who have lived it to discuss it. This method gives these veterans a venue to relate their stories to a caring neutral party.
When future combat missions are considered I can only hope that they would hear some of these testimonies of average citizens thrust into life changing and unfortunately sometimes life ending situations in defense of their country.
“Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.”
–Abraham Lincoln