[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22511]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE SOUTHFIELD VETERANS COMMISSION AND SOUTHFIELD PUBLIC 
                                LIBRARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 25, 2008

  Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Southfield 
Veterans Commission and Southfield Public Library for their outstanding 
participation in the Veterans History Project of the Library of 
Congress.
  The Library of Congress Veterans History Project collects and 
archives the personal recollections of U.S. wartime veterans, to honor 
their service and to share their stories with current and future 
generations.
  The Southfield Veterans Commission and Southfield Public Library have 
worked together to ensure that veterans from the city of Southfield and 
surrounding communities have their stories included in and honored by 
the project. Their efforts have become a model for other organizations 
and communities.
  Under the leadership of chairman Dan Brightwell, the commission has 
collected the histories of over 70 local veterans. Each week, members 
of the commission volunteer their own time and skills to interview and 
record the stories of each veteran and prepare the histories to be 
archived at the Library of Congress.
  These interviews have preserved extraordinary stories of individual 
service and important moments in our Nation's history. They include the 
first-hand accounts of a young man at Pearl Harbor on the morning of 
December 7, 1941; a 21-year-old Army nurse lieutenant treating the 
wounded on Fiji islands; a Marine fighting on the island of Pelilu and 
Guadalcanal; a Tuskegee Airman shot down over Germany and captured as a 
prisoner of war; a 19-year-old Army private storming Normandy beach, 
and veterans from the most horrific battles of the Vietnam conflict.
  The Southfield Public Library was named as a Partner Archive to serve 
as a local repository for Veterans History Project interviews. The 
library provides space each week for the collection of veterans' 
histories and has created an online archive where residents can easily 
view and enjoy local veterans' stories.
  This Veterans Day, November 11, 2008, I am proud to recognize the 
Southfield Veterans Commission, the Southfield Public Library, and the 
local veterans who have contributed their stories to the Veterans 
History Project at a special event, ``Honoring Southfield's Veterans,'' 
at the Southfield Public Library. This special celebration brings 
together the Southfield community to honor local veterans for their 
service to their fellow citizens and country and the work of the local 
volunteers to preserve their stories so that future generations can 
learn from their service and sacrifice.

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