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Stories: Phout Chamleunsouk
Within the Connecticut Veterans History Project, Vietnam Veterans are the most numerous oral histories present. The men and women served in all branches from marching through the jungles in the army to flying jets and bombers over North Vietnam to aiding and comforting the wounded in the rear hospitals. Americans of all creeds participated, over the course of the Vietnam War, approximately 2,700,000 Americans served in South East Asia; Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Most of the veterans in the archives were born and raised in America. While America sent millions of soldiers, there were also those native to South East Asia who fought alongside the Americans or with American support.…
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Stories: Germany During the Cold War
When the Second World War ended in 1945 with the defeat of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, the world did not experience long-lasting peace as the Western Allies and the Soviet Union prepared for yet another war, this time against each other. The end of the war resulted in Europe being divided into two, the West and the East. Both countries formed alliances to bolster their armies, as a result, the largest militaries ever formed posed to fight each other. There were two major alliances during the Cold War. In 1949, the Western nations in Europe signed a cooperative, defense treaty called NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). In response to…
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The Veterans History Project on the Connecticut Digital Archive
In addition to oral history interviews, the Veterans History Project also collects military documents, diaries, memorabilia, newspapers, and photographs that our interviewed veterans have shared with us. We scan or photograph these historic artifacts, return the originals to the veteran, and preserve the scans both at the Library of Congress and on our own website. When you search our collections, you can find links to these photographs and documents alongside the biographical information about the veteran and the link to their interview: Like the interviews themselves, these photographs and documents serve as a rich treasure trove of historical information that offer a detailed view of life as an American soldier.…
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Visualizing: What We Don’t Know (Pt. II)
If you haven’t already, take a look at Pt. 1 of “What We Don’t Know” to learn about other obstacles in the Veterans History Project archive. The Incredible Transcribing Robot! The CCSU Veterans History Project features over 700 oral histories, which are all viewable on YouTube. And one of the many benefits of that platform is YouTube’s capacity to auto-generate transcripts. Transcripts are immensely useful, not just because they offer subtitles for viewers who may have a hard time hearing or understanding the interview. Referencing the time-coded transcript of an interview allows a viewer to quickly identify and navigate to relevant sections. Without it, the only way through is the…
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Visualizing: Women and the Veterans History Project
The United States military has never fought a war without women. From the American Revolution to the conflicts of our lifetime, women have served in recognized and unrecognized roles. With time, the work performed by American military women has expanded from support roles and medical work to direct combat. The Veterans History Project includes oral histories from some 52 women. As participants in conflicts ranging from WWII to Iraq and Afghanistan, these veterans offer a valuable perspective on women in the US military. Most veterans interviewed for the Veterans History Project participated in WWII, and the same is true for the subset of female vets. Many served specifically in the Nurse Corps, which predates WWI. Our archive also features two WASPs: Women Airforce…
