A major community effort to record the memories of local war veterans is well under way. Stories recorded so far can be viewed at this link: Veterans History Project Archive. Below, read more about the history project itself below, and 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 Central Sierra Arts Council, in partnership with Friends and Neighbors Magazine.

Completed stories typically have not appeared in our quarterly magazine. Instead, they are posted here on the FAN website to allow public access to even more veterans’ stories. We also hope to share veterans’ memoirs in classrooms and community readings.

We began this project in 2010. Again in 2011 we are 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 help create classroom materials if you are an experienced educator;
3. Transcribe audio recordings, type manuscript revisions, create layouts and publish books.

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 Central Sierra Arts Council (CSAC). To make a gift, please write your check to Central Sierra Arts Council and be sure to note “Veterans History” on the memo line. Please mail to: Veterans History c/o CSAC, 193 S. Washington St., Sonora, CA 95370.

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

For more information, call Suzy Hopkins at (209) 536-1755, or Deanna Maurer, Project Director, (209) 918-9287.