Project Share Your Story Goes Live!
When NVVMF first implemented Project Share Your Story, there were 4 volunteers to conduct interviews and do the administrative tasks to start the project. The initial cadre was able to find 18 veterans of the Vietnam Era who were willing to be part of the test phase. We recorded their stories and and improved our processes over a year timeframe.
In the last six months, Project Share Your Story has increased to one full-time staff, lent to the program from Bellevue University, and a cadre of 15 volunteers. There are now 51 stories recorded and more being scheduled daily.
More excitingly to report, there are now stories on nvvmf.org! Please go and watch these veterans share their story. www.nvvmf.org/firsthand-accounts.
NVVMF presents Project Share Your Story
The Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation, in collaboration with Bellevue University, presents Project Share Your Story. It is our belief that a story shared builds a bridge to understanding, healing, and inspiration. We want to record and preserve personal accounts of every Nebraska Veteran that served during the Vietnam Era so that future generations may learn from your perspective to better understand the impact of your service.
If you are a veteran and you want to share your story, please email info@nvvmf.org or contact Dottie Barickman at 712-314-1808. If you are interested in being one of the volunteers for Project Share Your Story, please email info@nvvmf.org. Students and faculty of Bellevue University are encouraged to contact Bellevue University Military Veteran Service Center via email at mvsc@bellevue.edu or phone at 402-557-7820.
Library of Congress – Veterans History Project
Created by the United States Congress in 2000, the Veterans History Project set forth to collect, preserve, and make accessible personal accounts of veterans of American wars. In doing so, they ensure that future generations will hear straight from veterans to know the whole truth of wars. Currently, in the state of Nebraska there are over 44,000 Vietnam Veterans. However, there are only 266 stories shared by veterans of the Vietnam War that were either born in the state of Nebraska or currently reside in Nebraska. The Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation is on a mission to add to that collection.
The Trial Phase of the Project
Over the last seven months, the Foundation has been in a trial phase of the program to establish policies and procedures. With a lofty goal of collecting every veterans story who served during the Vietnam Era who calls Nebraska home, it was important that we set up guidelines and made a plan. The Bellevue University Military Veterans Service Center graciously offered up their spaces and provided recording equipment to facilitate the project. A handful of veterans, some who have shared their story before and a few who have not, volunteered to be part of the trial phase. They were patient as the Foundation trained volunteers to be interviewers and provided feedback to ensure the veteran was comfortable and confident that their story would be handled with care.
