Gary Laine Presents: American War Survivors Project

Contribute to the Project

The American War Survivors Project is a continuing effort to document the experiences of veterans before these invaluable firsthand accounts are lost to time. There are several ways you can contribute to this important historical preservation work.

Suggest a Veteran for Interview

Do you know a veteran whose story should be preserved? We're always looking to connect with veterans who are willing to share their experiences.

Who We're Looking For:

  • Veterans of any U.S. military conflict, with special priority for World War II, Korea, and Vietnam veterans
  • Veterans who are comfortable sharing their experiences on camera
  • Veterans with unique perspectives or experiences that add to our historical understanding

How to Suggest a Veteran:

Please contact us with the following information:

  • The veteran's name and approximate age
  • Which conflict(s) they served in and their branch of service
  • A brief description of their service (if known)
  • Your relationship to the veteran
  • Contact information (with their permission)
  • Any special considerations we should be aware of

We review all suggestions and will reach out directly if we're able to schedule an interview. Please understand that due to limited resources, we may not be able to interview every suggested veteran, but we appreciate all recommendations.

Share Historical Materials

If you have materials related to veterans' experiences that you'd like to contribute to the archive, we'd be interested in discussing possibilities for preservation and inclusion.

Types of Materials We Accept:

  • Letters and correspondence from wartime
  • Photographs from service periods
  • Diaries or journals
  • Maps or documents from deployments
  • Audio or video recordings of veterans' stories

All materials will be handled with care, professionally digitized, and returned to you unless you specify otherwise. We can provide digital copies of all scanned materials for your family records.

Please contact us to discuss potential donations or loans of historical materials.

Financial Support

The American War Survivors Project operates as a labor of love with minimal external funding. Your financial support helps us continue documenting these important stories and making them accessible to the public.

Your Support Helps Fund:

  • Travel to interview veterans across the country
  • Professional recording equipment and maintenance
  • Digital preservation of interviews and materials
  • Website development and hosting
  • Educational outreach programs

Ways to Support:

We are currently developing a structured donation program. In the meantime, if you're interested in supporting this project financially, please contact us directly to discuss options.

All contributions support our mission to preserve veterans' stories for future generations and educational purposes.

Volunteer Opportunities

If you have time and skills to contribute, we welcome volunteer assistance in several areas:

Current Volunteer Needs:

  • Transcription: Help transcribe recorded interviews for accessibility and research purposes
  • Research: Assist with historical research to provide context for veteran interviews
  • Technical Support: Help with website maintenance, video editing, or digital archiving
  • Outreach: Connect us with veteran organizations or retirement communities to find interview subjects
  • Event Assistance: Help with occasional public presentations or educational events

Volunteering is a meaningful way to honor veterans' service while gaining experience in oral history, archival practices, or digital media. Time commitments are flexible, and much of the work can be done remotely.

If you're interested in volunteering, please contact us with information about your skills, interests, and availability.

Spread the Word

One of the most valuable ways to contribute is simply by sharing the project with others:

  • Share our website with friends and family, especially those with connections to military service
  • Follow us on social media (coming soon)
  • Share veteran interviews in educational settings
  • Connect us with veterans' organizations, historical societies, or educational institutions

The more people who know about this archive, the greater its impact and the more veterans we can reach for future documentation.

Educational Use

We encourage the use of materials from the American War Survivors Project in educational settings:

  • Teachers can incorporate veteran interviews into history and social studies curricula
  • Students can use the archive for research projects
  • Community groups can organize viewing and discussion events

All materials may be used free of charge for educational purposes. We simply ask that you credit the American War Survivors Project and, when possible, let us know how the materials are being used so we can better understand our educational impact.

For specific educational requests or to discuss a curriculum integration project, please contact us.

Every Contribution Matters

Whether you're suggesting a veteran for interview, sharing historical materials, providing financial support, volunteering your time, or simply spreading the word about this project, every contribution helps ensure that these important stories are preserved for future generations.

We are deeply grateful for your interest in supporting this work and the preservation of our shared military history through the firsthand accounts of those who lived it.

If you have questions about how to contribute or ideas for other ways to support the project, please don't hesitate to reach out.