Bus rolls out to preserve Vietnam, Korean War history
Wrapped in black with images of the Vietnam War, a minibus hit the road recently for the latest chapter of the Veterans Story Project.
“The bus serves as a rolling billboard for the project and to bring awareness to the different organizations that support it,” said TJ Healy, co-producer of the Veterans Story Project with his partner Katharine Gilbert.
Over the next year, Healy said, the bus will travel to events throughout the state and serve as a mobile studio to gather oral histories from Vietnam and Korean War veterans. Healy said the goal is to interview 400 Vietnam War veterans and about 100 from the Korean conflict. Recorded interviews will be donated to the Delaware Public Archives and the Library of Congress.
Vietnam vet interviews will also be part of the Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemoration.
The digital oral histories will be similar to Voices of War WWII, which Healy and Gilbert produced with support from Gov. John Carney, who was lieutenant governor at the time.
“We're trying to duplicate that,” Healy said.
Healy said they are lining up a list of veterans to interview with help from the Veteran's Commission and the Delaware Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America. He said they plan to do about four interviews a day once production begins. Producers are particularly interested in hearing stories from women who served, he said.
In addition to interviews, the bus will offer information on jobs and programs available to all veterans.
“The bus represents all vets,” Healy said. “We're trying to get momentum here.”
For more information on the project, donations or sponsorships, go to veteransstoryproject.com.
