[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 73 (Thursday, May 24, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S5605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I call to the attention of the Senate the 
Veterans History Project that is currently being developed by the 
Library of Congress.
  This is a project that is dear to the hearts of all Americans and a 
project to which the Congress gave our unanimous support when we passed 
Public Law 106-380 last fall. Jut as a new memorial on the Mall will 
honor our WW II veterans, a living memorial to all our war veterans 
will be created by the Veterans History Project. This project, which is 
part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, will 
collect oral histories, along with letters, diaries, photographs, and 
other papers from veterans of World War I, World War II and the Korean, 
Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars, as well as from those who served in 
support of them. The Veterans History Project will create this national 
collection by creating partnerships and encouraging participation from 
a wide range of veterans' organizations, military installations, civic 
groups, museums, libraries, historical societies, students and 
teachers, colleges and universities, and citizens and the families of 
our veterans nationwide.
  This is an important national project and one that we should continue 
to support. Of the 19 million war veterans living in our Nation today, 
nearly 1,500 of them die each day--1,100 of them having served in World 
War II. While their own monument is under construction, we can build a 
lasting national collection that will preserve their wartime memories, 
actions and experiences. Through this national project we have to 
encourage local projects and local archives that will collect oral 
histories of all our war veterans for our children and our children's 
children.
  This is a project worthy of consideration by all Senators as they 
return home for Memorial Day. That is the reason I come to the Chamber.
  I thank our colleagues in the Senate, Senator Chuck Hagel and Senator 
Max Cleland for bringing this opportunity to us and to the citizens of 
our great Nation--a lasting democracy due to the sacrifices of the men 
and women honored by the Veterans History Project.
  I will support funding for this project and for the operations of the 
Library's American Folklife Center, where the veteran's collections 
will be preserved and shared with all. Nearly all of us have worked 
closely with the American Folklife Center. Many of you will recall the 
recent Local Legacies Project, done for the Library of Congress 
bicentennial last year, and other programs it has undertaken over the 
years.
  As we approach Memorial Day I ask the Senate to reaffirm our 
commitment to our veterans and show our support for the Veterans 
History Project. As a grateful nation, we must preserve and honor their 
memories for generations to come.

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