North Georgia veterans have a special invitation for this coming Friday, Nov. 8 from Congressman Doug Collins (R-GA) and the University of North Georgia.
Rep. Collins and UNG students are partnering to invite veterans to the Dahlonega campus to share their stories as part of the Veterans History Project. The Veterans History Project is an archive at the Library of Congress that preserves narratives of veterans’ service through oral history interviews and documents such as photographs, letters and journals.
Collins said it's vital for veterans to share their stories.
"If they're not sharing their stories, then nobody else will," the Gainesville congressman said in a phone interview. "I think [it's] very important because it gives a first-hand account to future generations so they can look back and know what it was like through the eyes of those who lived it."
The interviews will be filmed by UNG students from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Library Technology Center on the University of North Georgia's Technology Campus. Because space is limited, veterans will need to sign up for their interviews with Dan Mel at Collins' Gainesville office. Mel can be reached by phone at 770-297-3388 or by email at [email protected].
Collins said veterans from all eras are encouraged to participate, and he said they aren't just looking for stories from those who served in times of war.
"Sometimes we forgot that it's not just about going to war. We have folks who've served in peace time, as well, and those are invaluable stories to tell, so we're looking forward to a great turnout," Collins said.
The interviews will become part of the permanent collections of the Library of Congress and will be made available to researchers and to the general public via the American Folklife Center Reading Room at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, and the Veterans History Project website at www.loc.gov/vets.
