The FReeper Foxhole -

Dec. 6, 2002

[Jen]

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

We hope to provide an ongoing source of information about issues and problems that are specific to Veterans and resources that are available to Veterans and their families.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

Veterans History Project
Keeps War Memories Alive

There are over 19 million veterans living in the U.S. today. With each is a personal story of battles fought, victories and defeats. Each story, though sometimes heartbreaking, is full of love, dedication and patriotism.

---

War correspondent May Craig
interviews a soldier, ca. 1945.

---

That's how Peter Bartis describes his work with the Veterans History Project. The grassroots effort that began two years ago -- and has now caught fire -- is hoping to keep those memories alive.

Bartis, a senior program officer for the project, said that each day some 1,500 U.S. veterans die -- and with them a treasured part of the nation's past. "These are some of the most amazing stories; when you put them all together you get a story of the nation," he said.

Over the past year alone, the project's staff of 16 has already collected more than 14,000 items, such as letters and other memoirs, and video and audiotape interviews.

"We're all just blown away by these stories," he said. "The information has been very rich, it's been emotional, and it's very heartening to listen to the stories, to learn how and why they (veterans) joined, their war-time experience."

With the idea that future generations could learn from the histories of the nation's veterans, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, began the effort to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of American war veterans -- men, women, civilians who served in World Wars I and II, and the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. The center needs contributions of civilian volunteers, support staff, and war industry workers also.

Bartis said the amount of regular mail and the number of e-mails and phone calls vary from day to day, "but the response to this project has been enormous." "We get to know a lot of these people personally. That's the fun part," he said. Aside from the thousands of items received from everyday Americans each year, Bartis said the project has gained tremendous support from the corporate community as well.

The Veterans History Project's official Web site lists more than 50 national partners and support organizations from every state. The military services contribute through offices such as the Army's U.S. Center of Military History and the Naval and Marine Corps Historical centers, as well as DoD's official committee commemorating the 50th Korean War anniversary. Major national veterans associations are well-represented also.

"This is not our project or the library's project. This is the nation's project," Bartis said. "We want people of all walks of life to feel ownership of this project."

Learn more about the Veterans History Project.

[Billie]

Good luck with this, Jen - looks really great!

[MistyCA]

LOL! Got it Jen....thanks! :))) Duh!

[MistyCA]

I promise I won't ping everyone to tell them to ignore my ping since Jen is sooooo efficient! :) Love ya Jen!

[Darksheare]

Actually, I don't need my patriotism stirred. I need my temper cooled.
I've seen some pretty stupid things in this man's Army, and it burned me up.
Doubly so, since I was just a lowly SPC-4 and had no authority or power to change what I saw and heard.

I hold no animousity towards teh Army, I hold the military blameless in what i saw. I hold those that were in charge to blame.

I saw contracts breached by those in charge. I saw abuses of authority by officers. I saw gross negligence by those same officers. And I experienced the last two personally.
I know General Shinseki's order to change the design of the Stryker is going to cost lives. Needlessly cost lives. He stated that it should be a wheeled vehicle rather than a tracked vehicle because, "Wheeled vehicles are more mobile."
The esteemed General has never seen a Hemmet stuck in Fort Drum sand... while an M1A2 sails on by.
He also said to put external fuel tanks on it, right by the exit door.
The Russians learned in Afghanistan that external fuel tanks were a bad idea. They only changed that after several hundred troops burned to death.
The General also decided that a change of uniform would be a good idea. He gave us all the Ranger beret. Now, I was only an artilleryman, not a Ranger. If I had wanted to wear a Ranger beret, I would have gone to Ranger school. For me, as a 13B10, to wear something I did not earn is an insult. It's like those PX rangers that come back from basic and AIT with all these ribbons that they bought and have no orders for.

Personally, I left the military due to a death in the family. My former Captain was a Clintonophile. When my step-daughter died, the captain ignored all the regs dealing with bereavement leave and denied it. Then he told me that I was lying, that she wasn't dead. That I had not been at her funeral. And even if she was dead, she didn't mean anything to me, suck it up and drive on. Boy was I hot about that.

So, rather than transfer I went ING. I could not honorably serve in uniform as long as that captain was in uniform. I could not honorably do my duty without hurting him. You don't tell a soldier, a man of honor, that he's lying about the death of someone close to him like that.

But I sill respect the military, and am more than a little jealous of those still in.
So, to those that are still in, give the enemy one for me for good measure.

[Darksheare]

I'm here, see #144.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Thanks for the ping, but I have a question on the rules of engagement for this new daily thread. Are non-veterans like me invited?

[Aquamarine]

The FReeper Foxhole -

Good idea!

[fatima]

bump

[SAMWolf]

Thanks, aomagrat!

The first shots at Pearl Harbor fired by the Ward.

[amused]

I have not served. But I certainly appreciate the efforts of our current servicemen and women and the veterans before them.

Thank you.

Thank you for defending my freedom with your very lives.

[Sparta]

From someone who has never served, I thank all those that have for protecting my freedom to express my opinions. Thank you. You are not thanked enough for your sacrifices.

[SAMWolf]

General Shinseki, got no use for that man. He's way to PC for me. The Stryker and the beret have to be two of the worst ideas I've seen come out of him.

[Mr. Silverback]

This vet appreciates your work. God Bless and Stout Hearts. Silverback sends.

[BraveMan]

Thanks for the ping, AntiJen. Please add me to the FReeper Foxhole list.

A bump for the vets . . .

[Jen]

Are non-veterans like me invited?

ABSOLUTELY! If you support our troops and veterans you are more than welcome. Visit daily and enjoy some military history, current news, great pix of our troops in action, whatever we scrounge up for the day! Maybe even some music in the evenings after the mission is accomplished... :-)

[galt-jw]

good job, and thanks for the hard work. keep us all updated.

[Eastbound]

Let 'er rip, Sam. I can download at 5.x with this old modem and rusty phone lines.

[snopercod]

I spent the VietNam war drinking beer in Germany.

But I salute those who saw combat in the 'Nam.

[SAMWolf]

Are non-veterans like me invited?

YOu bet you are, you're entitled to hear what the Vets have to say and to express your opinions on Veterans issues and Military affairs.