Albert Gore Research Center Partners with the Library of Congress's Veterans History Project

Betty Rowland of the Gore Research Center looks at a German helmet that Barry Chism brought home following his time in Italy during WW II.

As a part of its ongoing effort to document the region's history, the Gore Center has sponsored the Middle Tennessee Oral History Project for nearly two years.  Many of the interviews completed during those two years have been with veterans of World War II.  In order to extend and enhance its efforts to document the experiences of veterans, the Gore Center has applied for and been accepted as an official partner with the Library of Congress's Veterans History Project.  Administered by the Library's American Folklife Center, the Veterans History Project "honors our nation's war veterans and those who served in support of them . . . by creating a lasting legacy of recorded interviews and other documents chronicling veterans' and other citizens' wartime experiences and how those experiences affected their lives and America itself."  Information about interviews that the Gore Center records, as well as documents, diaries, photographs and memorabilia that it acquires, will be entered into a national database being maintained by the Library of Congress.

The Gore Center has been focusing on World War II veterans because their numbers are dwindling by an estimated 1500 per day.  World War II veterans living in Middle Tennessee are encouraged to contact the Gore Center at 898-2632 if they are interested in being interviewed or donating their personal collections of war memorabilia for permanent preservation at the Center.  We are particularly interested in collecting diaries, letters, photographs, and scrapbooks.  Individuals who were involved as civilians on the home front are also encouraged to participate.

While the Gore Center's current focus is on World War II, the Veterans History Project encompasses veterans of all twentieth century wars, including Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Golf War, and the current war on terrorism.  Veterans of those conflicts are encouraged to contact the Gore Center if they would like to be the subject of a futre interview and/or if they have letters, diaries, photographs, or other documents that they would like to see preserved.