U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)

Q: What is the Veterans History Project?

A: Approved unanimously by Congress in 2000, the Veterans History Project came about through a grassroots effort to preserve the oral histories of America’s brave service men and women. The Library of Congress serves as the permanent repository for recorded veterans’ interviews submitted from local communities across the United States. The project honors those who have served in uniform and helps ensure future generations understand military service and the realities of war. In addition to audio and video recordings, the mission to preserve the memories and memorabilia from America’s veterans also includes letters, diaries, artwork and photographs. In 2016, Congress expanded the collection to include oral histories from family members memorializing loved ones who died as a result of their military service during war. To date, the collection includes firsthand narratives of U.S. military veterans from World War I through present day. The stories of more than 100,000 veterans are now part of the collection.

As a history enthusiast and U.S. Senator, I wanted to help preserve the stories of Iowa’s brave heroes who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. In 2018, my office launched an annual event to interview hometown heroes for the Veterans History Project. Typically held the Friday before Veterans Day, my office invites local veterans to share their stories in a 30- to 60-minute interview. To date, my office has submitted 83 interviews from Iowa veterans at events held across the state, including those recorded at the Iowa Gold Star Museum in Johnston (2018); the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown (2019); the Veterans Post in Waverly (2020); 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City (2021); the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo (2022); and, the Rock Island Arsenal Museum (2023). It is my honor to provide a platform for Iowa veterans and their loved ones, so that their stories aren’t lost to history. Listening to the voices of veterans sharing first-hand accounts of their military service and experiences during wartime is powerful testimony.

Q: Where will your office hold interviews this year for the Veterans History Project?

A: On Friday, Nov. 8, my office will host our eighth annual Veterans History Project in Cedar Rapids. I’m pleased to have students from Kirkwood Community College joining us this year to help facilitate the recordings and provide technical support. Interviews will take place at the Veterans Memorial Building, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., located at 51 1st Ave. Bridge, in Cedar Rapids.

According to the U.S. Census, veterans make up 6.5 percent of Iowa’s population; the Department of Veterans Affairs calculates 193,861 Iowans are among approximately 18 million living veterans in the United States today. Of wartime veterans, Iowa is home to 3,716 World War II veterans; 16,246 from the Korean conflict; 64,900 during Vietnam era; and 65,926 from the Gulf War. Census Bureau data show a shrinking share of U.S. adults are veterans, from about 18 percent of the population in 1980 to six percent in 2022. As fewer people have a direct connection to an active duty service member, or serve in uniform themselves, it’s important to preserve the stories of those who have served in the Armed Forces to ensure their service and sacrifice on behalf of our nation is honored and remembered for generations to come. God bless our veterans and service members currently serving who have answered the call to protect and defend our cherished blessings of freedom.