Veterans and their families asked to share stories and memories
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias during a press conference about the Illinois Veterans History Project. PHOTO PROVIDED BY SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is encouraging Veterans in Illinois to share their stories, mementos and photos for the Illinois Veterans History Project.
The Illinois Veterans History Project was launched as the state’s response to the Library of Congress, which collects the same kind of information from the Nation’s Veterans and makes it accessible to the public. Giannoulias and the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office wanted to make sure Veterans and their families could share their stories and experiences. The goal of the project is to preserve the memories and legacies of those Veterans for future generations.
The stories and experiences shared through this project will become part of the state’s digital archives. He said there was a sense of urgency to gather these stories from the state’s Veterans.
“With fewer living Veterans from past conflicts each year, the chances that these stories and these connections we’ll be able to form are diminishing, so everyday memories of World War II are disappearing,” he said, adding that Korean War Veterans and Vietnam Veterans are getting older as the years go on.
The Secretary of State is in charge of the archives for the State of Illinois. Giannoulias and his office wanted to the ensure that people were able to upload their stories and memories.
“We owe all of our Veterans respect, we owe them our freedom. I think in order to truly honor and let them tell their stories and amplify their experiences, as a state and as a country, we have to listen and learn from them. These records allow those of us in civilian life to better understand the full experience of what our Illinois Veterans faced during war time, during peace keeping missions and even at times of peace in the world,” he said.
The Secretary of State’s Office also has created a Veterans Advisory Council to help bring attention to the Illinois History Project, as well as to provide input and recommendations on how to do a better job of delivering services and programs to veterans across the state of Illinois. It is something Giannoulias is excited about.
Arthur Baltazar, a Vietnam Veteran, shared his stories and photos to the project. He served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1969. He said it felt good to share his story. He encouraged other veterans to share their stories for the project and to pass those stories down to their families.
Karen Hernandez is the Executive Director of Chicago Veterans. She also is a member of the Veterans Advisory Board.
“I think it’s important for the generations that are following us to listen to those stories, to learn from them, and be inspired and motivated by them, because that’s what those stories do for us. When we share those stories, we share the humanity in each other and our community can empathize and be more inclusive of each other,” she said.
For more information about the Illinois History Project, visit www.ilsos.gov/veteranshistoryproject.
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