Local veterans encouraged to share their stories

Despite the overwhelming number of service members from the CNMI and the White House authorizing 450 additional troops to Iraq with many from the Pacific region, the national Veterans History Project has yet to receive a submission to their collection from Pacific Islanders to date.

Although there is no shortage of veteran stories, local Army reservists who were urged to feature their experiences or contribute to the project said that many of the missions and experiences that are worth speaking about during their deployments contain classified information that could possibly result in a dishonorable discharge or demotion, adding to the further complexity of military operations and stability.

Still, Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) continues to encourage CNMI veterans to add their experiences to the Veterans History Project for the purpose of collecting, preserving, and making accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war from World War I to the War in Iraq.

The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that there are almost 21.8 million war veterans living today. Today there are no living veterans of World War I, only 855,000 veterans of World War II, and 2.5 million Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who continue to serve multiple deployments or cope with unprecedented mental and physical challenges.

The Veterans History Project was made possible by the 106th Congress through Public Law 106-380 on Oct. 27, 2000, which found that 4.7 million served in World War I, 16.5 million served in World War II, 6.8 million served in the Korean Conflict, 9.2 million served in the Vietnam Conflict, 3.8 million served in the Persian Gulf War, and countless other Americans served in military engagements overseas throughout the 20th century.

About 100,000 veterans’ stories have been collected so far, with 15,000 available online. The collection includes first-hand accounts through audio or video interviews, written memoirs, photographs, manuscripts, letters, and even original works of art. If you want to participate, the project website provides resources for conducting interviews, hosting community events, and submitting stories. For more information about how to get involved, visit www.loc.gov/vets or contact your congressional office at kilili@mail.house.gov or call 323-2647.

If you’d prefer to offer personal perspectives and analysis on the local impacts of U.S. militarism in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in terms of decolonization and sovereignty struggles, and the challenges of building community where U.S. bases and installations are located, contact Beyond the Fence radio host Vivian Dames at btf.kprg@gmail.com or call (671) 734-8930.