Frequently Asked Questions: Veterans History Project

You can search for and view the service summary record for each veteran's collection (e.g., biographical information). It is possible to search the collection using different criteria, such as name of veteran; name of interviewer/donor; war; branch of service; unit of service (such as battalion, regiment, ship, etc.); and service locations.

The service summary includes the veteran’s name, military service details, interviewer’s/donor’s name and affiliation, and an inventory of the contents of the contributed collection--in some cases, there will not be links to digitized collection material such as the interview. Collections that include digitized content are identified by a VIEW DIGITIZED COLLECTION link. Online display of collections is not exhaustive due to the volume of submissions received by the Veterans History Project.

While we understand it is more convenient to view the full collection online, all of our collections are available to researchers by appointment in the American Folklife Center Reading Room at the Library of Congress. With the high volume of collections we hold, and limited resources we have for digitization, we cannot accurately predict when and if collections will be made available online.

Please note: We are unable to serve collections on-demand to the general public or researchers. To view collections in-person, you must make an appointment with research staff at least 10 days in advance of your visit. On the day of your appointment, you may need to first get a Reader Identification Card (which only takes a few minutes) and then, go to the American Folklife Center Reading Room to view the collection material(s).

Useful links are included below.