The Kansas Humanities Council (KHC) recently partnered with twelve Kansas organizations for a statewide oral history project that will collect the personal stories of Vietnam veterans. Collected oral histories and memoirs will be submitted to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project in Washington, DC.
“This is a project that will encourage Vietnam veterans in Kansas to share their voices to the national narrative,” said Julie Mulvihill, KHC executive director. “It’s been 50 years since the escalation of U.S. involvement in the war, and it’s important for us to consider how these experiences have shaped the people of our state.”
The twelve “Kansas Stories of the Vietnam War” project partners include the Mary Cotton Public Library, Sabetha; Do Good Productions, Leawood; Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene; Emporia Public Library; Jetmore Public Library; Kansas Studies Institute at Johnson County Community College, Overland Park; KPR 91.5 FM, Lawrence; Mid-America All-Indian Center, Wichita; Newton Public Library; Onaga Historical Society; the Salina Public Library; and Winfield Public Library.
Salina Public Library’s programing will begin with the January 8th book discussion of “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien at 7:00 p.m. in the library’s Technology Center Conference Room. A panel discussion, memoir writing workshop and oral history interviews are in planning stages.
The Kansas Humanities Council is a nonprofit organization that supports community-based cultural programs, serves as a financial resource through an active grant-making program, and encourages Kansans to engage in the civic and cultural life of their communities. For more information and a list of partner site activities, visit www.kansashumanities.org. Funding for Kansas Stories of the Vietnam War is provided by the Kansas Humanities Council.
For more information about Salina Public Library’s involvement, contact Barbara Mulvihill at (785) 825-4624, ext. 243, email [email protected]
For more information about the Kansas Humanities Council’s role in the project, contact Murl Riedel at (785) 357-0359, email [email protected]
