Veterans Heritage Project Helps New Generations Honor Veterans

Chances are, you have a high school or middle school student in your life: a family member, child of a friend, or next-door neighbor. Since these teens are the future leaders of the country, it’s important that they have a foundational understanding of our nation’s past and the individuals that paved the way for their freedoms. One organization in particular perfectly functions to bridge this generational gap — the Veterans Heritage Project. Connecting students with Veterans has always been the mission of the Veterans Heritage Project. Actively working to preserve the stories, contributions, and legacies of our servicemen and women through oral and written storytelling, this organization is dually dedicated to helping students develop character and communication skills that will serve them in future schooling, careers, and beyond. Fostering multigenerational communication and relatability, the Veterans Heritage Project helps students learn more about history and various wars than they would ever get out of just a history textbook. The Veterans Heritage Project actively works to preserve Veteran legacies and empower students by helping them forge relationships with our nation’s military heroes. They also help former members of the military bridge the gap between civilian and military life, providing them with the opportunity for recognition. More like this:Team Red, White, and Blue Helps Veterans Prioritize Health & Wellbeing

History of the Veterans Heritage Project

The idea for the Veterans Heritage Project began in 1988 in the classroom of a passionate history teacher, Barbara Hatch. After watching the film Saving Private Ryan, the class wondered about its authenticity. To address her students’ questions, Barbara wrote to a Veteran of Foreign Wars, inviting him to talk with her students. Ralph George, a member of the Fountain Hills VFW, organized a group of WWII Veterans to speak, and it became a tradition. In 2004, Arizona’s Salt River Project reached out to Barbara, offering to fund the program. With overwhelming support from her students and a passion for listening to Veterans willing to share their service stories, the class invited several Veterans to the classroom for recorded interview sessions. These were sent to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. (a national military history archive). Following this experience, students enthusiastically requested an after-school club, which then became the Arizona Heritage Project. The club hosted civic events and Veterans Day celebrations and let students conduct a Veteran interview. Shortly after, the first volume of Since You Asked was published in 2005. In 2009, the Veterans Heritage Project was formally launched, and a second edition of Since You Asked was published in 2012. Since then, VHP has continued to grow nationwide.

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“Since You Asked”

Since You Asked. With every story published, a recording of the interview is taken and then burned to a disk. This disk is then copied and stored in two locations: VHP’s headquarters and (the most exciting part) the Veterans History Project archive at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. A physical copy of the written Veteran story is also sent to the archive. Book covers are chosen to represent fatigue and patriotic colors or a theme as a special tribute, such as Since You Asked XIII-Edition I (2017), which featured pink accents and was a salute to women in service. Each volume of Since You Asked has a special dedication. Past editions of Since You Asked include:

• A Salute to WWII (2018)
• A Salute to the Korean War (2019)
• A Salute to Vietnam Veterans (2020)
• A Salute to the National Guard (2021)

Check out the VHP portal to search the Library of Interviewed Veterans to locate a specific Veteran, student author, year of publication, or school chapter. The most current edition of Since You Asked is $30. All past editions are $25 each. Want to peruse the Veteran stories most recently published by VHP? Purchase a copy of 2021’s editions of Since You Asked (2021 SYA XVII-Edition 1 and 2021 SYA XVI-Edition 2) on the official Veterans Heritage Project website.

Chapters and Locations

The Veterans Heritage Project has partnered with 30 schools across Arizona and Florida. Here is a list of just some established VHP chapters:

• Cactus Shadows High School — Cave Creek, AZ
• Destin High School — Destin, FL
• Niceville High School — Niceville, FL
• Notre Dame Preparatory High School — Scottsdale, AZ
• Arizona State University — Tempe, AZ
• University of Arizona — Tucson, AZ

Annual Events

Every year, in addition to conducting interviews and holding local chapter meetings, VHP hosts annual events that honor our nation’s Veterans. These events are open to members of the public, Veterans, students, families, friends, and those looking for further involvement with the organization.

Saluting Stories of Service

Community Reception and Book Signing

Every year, the Veterans Heritage Project hosts a reception that honors the Veterans included in that year’s publication and celebrates the achievements of students who have interviewed, written stories, and participated in events throughout the year. Each reception features a keynote speaker, a presentation of scholarship awards, and a patriotic musical tribute. The reception culminates with a book signing where students, family, and members of the organization can individually talk with past and present Veterans featured in a volume of Since You Asked.

Why VHP Matters

VHP exists to preserve, record, and honor our nation’s Veterans. This is accomplished by enabling one generation to pass the torch of knowledge on to the next generation. Veterans telling the story of their experiences in their own words gives us all an opportunity to view history from a new perspective. Are you a Veteran who would like to have their service story documented? Or do you know someone who might be interested in this opportunity? Contact the Veterans Heritage Project at info@veteransheritage.org. Related read:Veterans Growing America Helps Veteran Entrepreneurs

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