Wyoming Veterans History Project
Are you a combat veteran of the US Armed Forces? Are you willing to tell your story to another veteran and have it archived with the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center? Would you like your story to be available for family, friends, researchers, and writers?
If so, contact Harry Whitlock (US Army, Retired) at hlwhitlock@gmail.com or 307-340-2071.
What is involved? A couple of hours of your time. You will be interviewed by Harry while an audio recording is made of the conversation. The recording will be transcribed. Both the recording and the transcription will then become part of the collection at the American Heritage Center (AHC). Your story will be available for researchers to access online or in person.
Will I lose the rights to my story or experience? While the copyrights to the recorded interview and transcript belong to the AHC, you retain the overall rights your story. Should you decide to tell your story to another interviewer, to write a book or make a film, or do something else related to your combat experience, that overall story still belongs to you.
Can I tell my story anonymously? Yes, you can. While researchers prefer to know the identity of a storyteller, the AHC can ensure you remain anonymous. The AHC can also ensure that the story is not released for a specified period of time due to personal or other concerns.
Can I donate memorabilia or documents along with my story? If you desire to donate items, you will be put in touch with one of the AHC’s archivists to discuss the donation. Ideal items are journals, letters, or ephemeral documents such as unit newsletters.
About the American Heritage Center.
More than 100 years ago, Grace Raymond Hebard—UW faculty member, administrator, librarian, and Wyoming historian—began collecting the papers and reminiscences of Wyoming’s pioneers. Her research on the history of Wyoming, the West, emigrant trails, and Native Americans became the nucleus for what is known today as the American Heritage Center (AHC). Officially established in 1945, the Center now holds over 90,000 cubic feet of historic documents and artifacts in more than 3500 collections—placing the AHC among the largest non-governmental archives in the nation.
Today, the AHC contains important holdings in numerous areas. Its western history archives include materials on early women’s suffrage and political achievements, native Americans, ranching, politics, authors, and under-documented communities. Other featured collecting areas include transportation (railroad, highway and air travel), mining and energy extraction, entertainment and popular culture (with important collections featuring Hollywood, music, radio, television and the comic book industry), natural resources and the environment, and military history. The AHC also serves as the primary archives for the University of Wyoming.
Source: https://www.uwyo.edu/ahc/
