Veterans History Project starting meetings in RR

The Veterans History Project (VHP), originally a national project and now a local Rio Rancho Chapter, will have its first meeting from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 21 at Esther Bone Memorial Library on Pinetree Road.

According to the release, the VHP at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service.

As part of the project, an offshoot project, the Harold Amidon Veterans Media Project, allows veterans to share their stories and have them documented. The project also has a podcast called “Big Voice” or “Giant Voice,” referring to the loudspeaker system used on military bases.

“By documenting veterans’ experiences, the project ensures that future generations can directly hear from veterans and gain a deeper understanding of what they saw and did,” a description of the project reads.

The inspiration for the project comes from Sgt. Harold Amidon, who served in World War II, and his daughter Sophie.

The history project itself, in addition to audio- and video-recorded oral history interviews, accepts unpublished memoirs and collections of original photographs, letters, diaries/journals, 2-D artwork and other historical documents from those who served in the U.S. armed services. VHP relies on volunteers, both individuals and organizations, throughout the nation to contribute veterans’ collections to VHP.

“The project makes accessible the materials that comprise this important national archive, which contains submissions from every state and includes the U.S. territories,” the description states. “If you are a vet or know a vet who would like their military story preserved, please attend the first meeting of the Rio Rancho Veteran’s History Project.”