The Veterans History Project was established by the United States Congress in October 2000. It called upon the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to collect and preserve audio- and video-taped oral histories, along with documentary materials such as letters, diaries, maps, and photographs of America's war veterans and those who served in support of them.

The Library of Congress' Veterans History Project covers World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars. It includes all participants in those wars--men and women, civilian and military. It documents the contributions of civilian volunteers, support staff, and war industry workers as well as the experiences of military personnel from all ranks and all branches of service: the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.

The Special Collections Division of the Nashville Public Library became an official partner of the Veterans History Project in October of 2001 and serves as a repository for the materials collected. Biographical information about participants in the project is forwarded to the Library of Congress to be included in their National Registry of Service.

Collecting efforts have concentrated upon gathering materials relating to Nashville and Davidson County residents. Persons outside of Davidson County were often referred to the Middle Tennessee Oral History Project at the Albert Gore Research Center in Murfreesboro, or other partner institutions.

The Veterans History Project Collection in the Special Collections Division consists of recorded interviews with local veterans, and documentary materials donated by veterans or their families. Materials in the collection include letters, memoirs, scrapbooks, unit histories and unit newsletters, photographs, oral histories and transcripts, maps, and publications.

All finding Aids are in PDF format unless otherwise noted. You may download Adobe PDF Reader free here.

Episode Guide to Accompany Ken Burns’ Documentary, The War

Veterans History Project Finding Aid
(view specific sections of the finding aid by using the links for each war)

• World War I
• World War II
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• Persian Gulf War
• Afghanistan/Iraq Wars
• Other Conflicts or Peacetime

Veterans History Project Special Interest Categories
Veterans History Project Interview Summaries
Veterans History Project Collections At A Glance

Listen to excerpts from interviews and view other materials from the Veterans History Project Collection.