A major community effort to record the memories of World War II veterans in Tuolumne County is entering its third year. Stories recorded so far can be viewed at this link:  Tuolumne Veterans History Project Archive. 

Below, read more about the project, which involves 18 community volunteers who by late 2012 have helped preserve the stories of more than two dozen veterans in their 80s and 90s. We thank the Sonora Area Foundation for funding to help create and print soft-cover books  provided to the veterans free of charge.

Please join us in our efforts to preserve our veterans’  invaluable historical insights.

About The Veterans History Project

Wartime veterans have had experiences most of us could never imagine. Many of them have never had the opportunity to recount those experiences, though it may be many decades since they happened. Other veterans may have shared some of their experiences, but no lasting account exists.

The goal of the Tuolumne Veterans History Project is to help preserve as many firsthand accounts by wartime veterans as possible. These stories contain valuable insights and history, from which we can all learn. Preserving them not only honors our veterans but shows them that their contributions to our national safety and security will not be forgotten.

Through this project, veterans are interviewed by trained volunteers who understand the perspectives and historical context needed to tell wartime stories effectively. The veterans project is a project of the nonprofit Memoir Center.

We began this project in 2010. Again in 2013 we will be searching for veterans who are willing to share their stories. In future years, we hope to preserve veterans’ stories from the Korean and Vietnam war eras, and other US wars.

Here’s how you can participate:

1. Volunteer to interview a veteran and write his or her story — we’ll show you how;

2. Volunteer to edit project manuscripts if you are an experienced editor or wordsmith;

3. Volunteer to help create classroom materials if you are an experienced educator.

If you live outside Tuolumne County and would like to participate, please let us know. We will do our best to provide support and services to help you get started interviewing veterans.

Please Note: The Veterans History Project operates under the fiscal agency of The Memoir Center, a 501(c)3 organization eligible to receive tax-deductible donations. A fund has also been established at the Sonora Area Foundation to receive project donations: Mail checks to SAF, PO Box 577, Sonora, CA 95370, with “Veterans History Project” in the memo line.

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of Friends and Neighbors Magazine in sharing office space, equipment and supplies, which helps make this project possible.

Note: During Project Director Deanna Dechaine-Maurer’s temporary absence, the magazine will continue to serve as an information clearinghouse for the project. Call Publisher Suzy Hopkins at (209) 536-1755, or email editor@seniorfan.com.