Friday, November 11, 2022
The Department of Public Instruction Library Services Team would like to thank all veterans for their service and selfless sacrifice for our country. As we honor those who served this Veterans Day, learn more about the resources and opportunities available to understand our veterans’ experiences.
Search and view publications with BadgerLink’s Military & Government Collection, which provides current news for all branches of the military and government. With nearly 300 full-text journals and magazines, publications include Defense Studies, Military Technology, Combat Edge, Foreign Affairs, and Naval Forces.
To hear first-hand accounts of what veterans from Wisconsin faced and experienced in war, visit Recollection Wisconsin’s Listening to War. The digital collection is compiled of stories during times of war from veterans, journalists, medical personnel, survivors and more.
Recollection Wisconsin also has a section devoted to Veterans and Military History. The collections range from photographs documenting wars such as the Civil War, World War II, or Vietnam, to veterans’ diaries, government documents, and military memorabilia.
The National Archives and the Library of Congress are additional locations for historical documents. Under the Veterans Resources, military and veterans records are available including film footage of various wars, genealogy research, ability to request copies of military service records, and various information on ship plans, maps, and military blueprints.
The Library of Congress maintains the Veterans History Project, which preserves and makes available firsthand narratives of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through the more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions. The purpose of the collection is so future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.
Anyone, including veterans, librarians, and students ages 15 and older, can take part in collecting interviews for the Veterans History Project. You may volunteer to record an oral history interview of a veteran from all branches and ranks who served at any point since World War I, even if they did not see combat. You may also donate a veteran’s original photographs, correspondence, or other military materials. Learn more about the project or how to participate at the Library of Congress website.
These resources are available throughout the year along with additional resources within Wisconsin’s libraries. So, on this Veterans Day, when you walk throughout a library, remember our veterans who fought to preserve our rights and freedoms. Thank you, again to all those who served.