[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 161 (Monday, November 2, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H12163-H12164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT WEEK

  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 866) expressing support for designation of a 
National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public 
participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the 
stories of the men and women who served our nation in times of war and 
conflict.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 866

       Whereas the Veterans History Project was established by a 
     unanimous vote of the United States Congress to collect and 
     preserve the wartime stories of American veterans;
       Whereas Congress charged the American Folklife Center at 
     the Library of Congress to undertake the Veterans History 
     Project and to engage the public in the creation of a 
     collection of oral histories that would be a lasting tribute 
     to individual veterans and an abundant resource for scholars;
       Whereas there are 17,000,000 wartime veterans in America 
     whose stories can educate people of all ages about important 
     moments and events in the history of the United States and 
     the world and provide instructive narratives that illuminate 
     the meanings of ``service'', ``sacrifice'', ``citizenship'', 
     and ``democracy'';
       Whereas the Veterans History Project relies on a corps of 
     volunteer interviewers, partner organizations, and an array 
     of civic minded institutions nationwide who interview 
     veterans according to the guidelines it provides;
       Whereas increasing public participation in the Veterans 
     History Project will increase the number of oral histories 
     that can be collected and preserved and increase the number 
     of veterans it so honors; and
       Whereas ``National Veterans Awareness Week'' commendably 
     preceded this resolution in the years 2005 and 2006: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes ``National Veterans Awareness Week'';
       (2) supports the designation of a ``National Veterans 
     History Project Week'';
       (3) calls on the people of the United States to interview 
     at least one veteran in their families or communities 
     according to guidelines provided by the Veterans History 
     Project; and
       (4) encourages local, State, and national organizations 
     along with Federal, State, city and county governmental 
     institutions to participate in support of the effort to 
     document, preserve, and honor the service of American wartime 
     veterans.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Walz) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Abraham Lincoln, in the Gettysburg Address, stated that 
the ``world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but 
it can never forget what they did here.'' In that spirit, Congress 
created the Veterans History Project in 2000. The goal of the project 
is to capture the personal stories of our Nation's heroes so that our 
children and their children can more fully understand the history of 
this great Nation.
  The project directed the Library of Congress to establish a national 
archive for the collection and preservation of videotaped oral 
histories of our veterans, as well as the copying of letters written 
during their time in service and diaries they kept so there is a 
national repository of this very important part of our Nation's 
history. This is a worthwhile investment of time and resources and is a 
gift that can be given for generations and centuries to come.
  There are more than 23 million veterans living in this country today, 
including the 3 million veterans of World War II. It is important that 
these stories are told, and it is more important that these stories are 
told from the mouths of those who were on the front lines and 
participated firsthand as history was made.
  This resolution before us today, House Resolution 866, calls on the 
people of the United States to interview at least one veteran in their 
family or community according to guidelines provided by the Veterans 
History Project.
  I would like to thank all the volunteers from across this country, 
not only the veterans who have shared their stories, but their family 
members and friends that have helped to capture their accounts.
  Volunteers and participants become historians themselves; they can 
collect video and audio recordings, create a collection of recordings 
to be available for public use, or collect written materials relevant 
to personal histories of all war veterans.
  I encourage all Americans to reach out and thank the veterans they 
know, and their families, for their amazing sacrifice, learn more about 
their great contributions to our country, gain the wisdom of their 
personal stories of our Nation's history, and participate in the 
Veterans History Project.
  As the chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee has said, he 
has had the opportunity to hear many accounts from many veterans. He 
hears the sense of pride that comes with them, as do each of us who 
defended our country.
  This Veterans Day, and the whole year through, join me and take the 
time to show your gratitude to those who have answered the call to 
duty.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman, Chairman Filner, 
Ranking Member Buyer, and all members of the committee, and a special 
thank you to Representative Ron Kind who introduced this to me.
  As a schoolteacher and someone who understands the value of these 
oral histories, this is an incredible archive. The support of this 
project cannot be overstated. It is going to be something that will 
allow generations to come to understand what this country was built 
upon, and they will have it as a resource to access at any time.
  So, again, I thank everyone involved in this project.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 866, a resolution expressing support for 
the designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to 
encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects 
and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our Nation at 
times of war and conflict.
  The National Veterans History Project was created by P.L. 106-380, 
which was signed into law by President Clinton on October 27, 2000. It 
is housed in the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress 
and contains firsthand accounts of veterans from every armed service 
conflict since World War I. The online database contains records of 
over 70,000 veterans and will continue to be a wonderful resource to 
inform and inspire all Americans for generations to come.
  In reviewing this collection of information on veterans, you can find 
the stories in the collection of our only remaining American veteran of 
World War I, Frank Buckles. His digital collection contains both video 
and audio

[[Page H12164]]

records of his time serving as a corporal in World War I. We also have 
stories from the most current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 
collection.
  To have this personal record is so important to the history and 
nature of our country as it provides our Nation with the unique 
perspective of what it's like serving on the ground, a point of view 
often lost in the history books. Mr. Speaker, it is by preserving these 
stories and records that the past is shared with the future and lessons 
can be learned.
  I highly encourage all veterans to participate in the Veterans 
History Project and support this resolution for the designation of 
National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public 
participation in this nationwide collection of stories.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues, Mr. Kind of 
Wisconsin and Mr. Wamp of Tennessee, for introducing this bipartisan 
legislation, and Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for moving 
the bill so quickly to the floor for consideration.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 866.
  I yield back the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on House Resolution 866.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALZ. Again, I, too, want to thank Mr. Wamp, Mr. Kind, and 
everyone involved in this; it is absolutely appropriate as next week we 
stop to remember Veterans Day. This project does so all year and for 
generations to come. I urge unanimous support of this resolution.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in support 
of H. Res. 866, which expresses support for designation of a National 
Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a 
nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men 
and women who served our nation in times of war and conflict. I support 
this resolution because the preservation of our country's history, as 
told by the men and women of the armed services, is a valuable piece of 
our nation's heritage and merits our wholehearted endorsement.
  The Veterans History Project was established in 2000 by the Veteran's 
Oral History Project Act, which I was proud to support as a cosponsor. 
We knew then, as we know now, that the experience of our nation's 
veterans is a vital part of the history of military conflicts. The 
Congress unanimously supported the legislation, a testament to the 
necessity of this effort.
  The American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress was charged 
by Congress to initiate and oversee the Veterans History Project. Its 
task is to engage the public to create a collection of oral histories, 
which would be available for scholars. The Veterans History Project is 
operated by volunteer interviewers, partner organizations, and an array 
of institutions' dedicated to the preservation of the United States' 
heritage. Interviews with American war veterans and the civilian 
workers who supported the veterans are conducted according to the 
guidelines provided by the Project. The Veterans History Project 
collects the memories and remembrances of veterans who served in World 
War I, World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the 
Persian Gulf War, and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. So far, the 
Veterans History Project has collected over 66,000 oral histories, 
pictures, and diary entries from American men and women who served 
their country on the battlefield and at home. The stories are made 
available at the Library of Congress and on the Veterans History 
Project website for everyone to study and experience.

  I would like to acknowledge that there are two official partner 
organizations assisting this project in my home state of Texas. The 
first is the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) located 
in Irving, Texas. The second is the LULAC-Daughters and Mothers 
Assisting Success Program located in Dallas, Texas. I am proud of the 
generosity of these organizations that are willing to donate their time 
to honor veterans and preserve veterans' history.
  Veterans History Project Week highlights the need to collect and 
preserve the personal narratives of the men and women who have served 
the United States in times of war and conflict. The collection of 
personal experiences of U.S. service men and women will be a vital part 
of the historical record that will help future scholars understand the 
conflicts. There are over 23 million wartime veterans in America whose 
personal narratives can elucidate both the experience of armed conflict 
throughout time and the proceedings of the conflicts themselves.
  This resolution is a timely reminder of the importance of acting 
quickly to preserve the experience of U.S. veterans. Approximately 40 
percent of veterans are 65 years old or over. Of the 2.6 million World 
War II veterans who were alive in 2008, we are losing nearly 900 on 
average each day. We must not let time irreversibly claim the memories 
that are our nation's heritage.
  The Veterans History Project also serves as a tribute to the men and 
women who have fought our country's battles or supported the effort at 
home. Collecting and preserving the personal narratives of veterans for 
historical records demonstrates the importance of the individual 
experiences. The voices of veterans will be available to be heard by 
future students of history and their experience will remain alive.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution and the effort to preserve the memory of 
those who have served our country in times of war and conflict are an 
invaluable part of preserving our country's heritage.
  Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 866, 
expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History 
Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project 
that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served 
our nation in times of war and conflict. I joined with my colleague, 
Mr. Kind, to introduce this legislation.
  Our Nation loses at least 1,000 veterans every day, and along with 
them we lose their stories of courage and memories of comradeship and 
sacrifice. In October 2000, Congress recognized the urgency of 
collecting these wartime memories, accounts and documents and created 
the Veterans History Project.
  Today we honor all the lives of veterans and the project by 
supporting the designation of National Veterans History Project Week. 
We encourage Americans to join in the effort to preserve and honor the 
service of our wartime veterans by interviewing those in their families 
and communities to contribute to the Veteran's History Project. It is a 
unique opportunity to help document the personal accounts of our 
Nation's veterans for today's generation and future Americans.
  More than 600 stories of veterans in the Tennessee Valley have been 
permanently archived at the Library of Congress as part of the Veterans 
History project. More than 100 of these local veterans' memories were 
aired on Chattanooga's WRCB-TV. Through WRCB's television coverage, 
many veterans were inspired to share their stories and more were 
collected than we could have ever expected. Some of these memories 
include those of fresh-faced high school graduates who stormed the 
beaches of Normandy on D-day, officers who fought through the Battle of 
the Bulge and left Europe as decorated heroes, and young women who 
voluntarily served in the Army Corps of Nurses helping our soldiers 
heal from their battle wounds. Theirs are the stories we may not have 
heard if not for the Veterans History Project.
  Our Nation's history of freedom is passed down from one generation to 
the next by American patriots who were willing to stand between a 
threat and our civilian population. It is essential that we work 
together to preserve their memories and experiences for future 
generations who have much to learn from those who have so honorably 
served our Nation.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 866.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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