Veterans' History Project recognizes ASU contributions


The national Veterans History Project (VHP) has named ASU as a founding partner in recognition of the university’s support for collecting veterans’ oral histories, thanks in part to the work of Larry Edmonds, faculty lecturer in communications at ASU’s Polytechnic campus.

The VHP, founded in 2000, is a project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center. It collects and archives personal narratives, memoirs, correspondence and images from American war veterans.

Edmonds has been helping to collect veterans’ oral histories for nearly 10 years and holds the position of Central/Northern Arizona workshop facilitator for the VHP.

“I’ve worked with ASU West and Polytechnic to deliver community workshops on-campus, as well as present mini-workshops at Family History Society locations across the Valley,” Edmonds says. “It’s part of our commitment to community involvement.”

In the last century, the United States has seen two world wars and overseas combat from the Korean War to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The VHP’s mission, as established by law, is to preserve the stories of these veterans so that future generations may better appreciate their sacrifices and the realities of war. More than 800 organizations across the country participate in the project.

According to Edmonds, more than 68,000 veterans’ stories have been collected by the project to date.  Selected interviews and instructions for volunteers, veterans and researchers can be found online at www.loc.gov/vets.

“I’m happy that we have had the opportunities to make a difference through our affiliation with the Veterans History Project,” Edmonds says.

Organizations interested in hosting a free oral history collection workshop can contact Tim Lloyd at 614-292-3375 or by email at Lloyd.100@osu.edu.


Written by Kari Stallcop

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Chris Lambrakis
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