Veteran’s Day Field Trip

Alternative Assignment

Though television and the Internet bring images of war into the home, many of you might not be aware of the day-to-day experiences of those who have fought on the front lines.

A great way to help expose people to these stories is the Veterans History Project (VHP). The VHP, a project of the Library of Congress, makes available online hundreds oral history interviews and other materials from those who fought or were involved in World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts and the wars in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

For the quickest access to veterans’ stories, pictures and correspondence, browse selected interviews by theme. In addition, you can search the collections by name, specific conflict, branch of service and where they served. Use the Library’s Veterans History Project primary source set as a starting point. Veterans’ Stories: The Veterans History Project and Veterans’ Stories: Struggles for Participation allows students to quickly access a large collection of Veterans History Project materials.

ASSIGNMENT: Using the Veteran’s History Project website, complete the following:

  1. Compare the stories of two people who served in the same branch of service but in different wars. In what ways were their experiences similar? In what ways were they different? Your comparison should be at least 250 words.
  1. Listen to three of the interviews from the section on patriotism, identify different ways in which the veterans describe or express their views on patriotism, and compare their responses. Your comparison should be at least 250 words.

OBSERVE

Identify and note details.

  • Describe what you notice.
  • What do you notice first?

REFLECT

Generate and test hypotheses about the source.

  • What was the purpose of this oral history?
  • What can you tell about the person telling the story, and about that person's point of view?
  • What is the significance of this oral history?
  • Is it more personal or historical?
  • How does encounteringthis story firsthand change its emotional impact?
  • Whatcan you learn from this oral history?