Our sincere “Thank You” to Penny Hull of Stanton Homes, a loyal sponsor of our project.  (http://www.StantonHomes.com)   Penny is the author of the following two articles and we are pleased to give you their links for the full copy.   Thank you Penny!

 

Veterans Think They Don’t Have Much to Say –

But They’re Wrong!

"It wasn't all that exciting."

That's what a lot of veterans say when their families ask them to tell their stories.

"I couldn't possibly talk for more than ten minutes."

Time and again, the veterans insist there isn't much to tell.

But it never takes ten minutes.

It often goes on for hours.

Because once veterans start talking, they remember so many interesting things. The people they met. The places they went. What they saw. What they thought. What they did. What it felt like.

That's what the National Veterans History Archival Institute (NVHAI) is all about.

Providing a venue where veterans tell their stories, so that their families - and the rest of the world - can understand what it was like, what it meant, and what it stands for.

Like an army finance officer who served in Tehran in WWII. He had never talked about it to his two daughters.

"They were spell-bound," said Dave Milidonis, founder of the Cary, NC based Veterans History Institute. "Every veteran has a fascinating story to tell. Oftentimes, the less they think, at first, they have to talk about, the more interesting their story turns out to be." [Click Here for the full article]

60 Years of Memories Started with a War Injury – Stories that Change the World

Remembering the Events That Changed the World

"I don't have much to talk about. All I did was forecast the weather," said Frederick Adams of Cary, NC when asked if he wanted to talk about his time in the military.

But as he began to talk about his experience, it quickly became evident that what he had done was far more important than let people know whether or not they should carry an umbrella.

The weather Adams was forecasting was for the atomic bomb testing.

Those two years - 1946 to 1948 - that he'd been stationed at the Kwajalein Islands were an important part of history, and the Navy veteran didn't even realize how crucial his part had been until he began to retell the story.

That's what the Veterans History Institute is all about.

Gathering history.

The day-to-day existence and experiences of veterans - however seemingly small their individual parts - has had a tremendous impact on our nation's success.

"There's a tremendous amount of interest in WWII in today's society," said Dave Milidonis, founder of the Veterans History Institute (NVHAI). "There's even a course on remembering WWII at NC State, for students aged 50 and older. And what we're gathering is an incredibly valuable part of all that history and more - one story at a time - the real-life experiences of our veterans, no matter where they served."

A network of volunteers across the country conduct interviews designed to help veterans tell their stories, as keepsakes for their families, as well as documented war-time entries for the National Archives in Washington D.C.   [Click here for the full article]

 

 
Upcoming Event Days

• Raleigh Elks Lodge-Veterans Interviews and Open House-Saturday, January 10, 2009-10 am - 4 pm.
• Stanton Homes-Veterans Interviews and Open House-Saturday, January 17, 2009-12 noon - 4 pm.
• Roanoke Rapids, Wednesday, January 21, 2009
• Members of the NC Funeral Directors Association are partners with the NVHAI and have willingly and graciously opened their doors for the conduct of veterans interviews and records collections.   Call your local funeral director for details.
• Our volunteers will also come directly to your homes to conduct interviews.   Email info@veteranshistoryinstitute.org for further details.