Veterans Day Homeschool Project

It’s so important to record the memories of friends and loved ones, especially those who have served our country in the military. In this newsletter, we’ll teach you how to do your own veterans oral history, so that you can preserve for all time the experiences of those brave men and women. 

What is oral history? Oral history is the collection and study of historical information using recordings of interviews with people having personal knowledge of past events. With a veteran oral history, your goal is to interview and record a veteran about his or her experiences in the military. 

With the 100th anniversary of the armistice right around the corner, this would be a really neat homeschool project, not to mention a priceless keepsake. 

Step 1: Prepare
-Decide whom you will interview
-Gather recording equipment—maybe an app for your phone, a digital camera, or a simple audio recorder
-Ask the veteran permission, and set up a time and quiet location
-Test the sound/recording equipment

Step 2: Conduct the Interview

Use these questions as a guide:

-What is your name and birth date?
-Where were you born? 
-Did you have any family who served in the military before you?
-What did you do before you entered the military?
-In which branch of the military did you serve?
-How long were you in the military, from when until when?
-In which branch of the military did you serve?
-At what rank did you start out, and at what rank did you leave? 

-Did you enlist in the military, or were you drafted?
-If you were enlisted, what made you want to join?
-If you were drafted, how did you feel upon being drafted?
-How did your family feel about you going into the military?
-What were your first few days and weeks like?
-Discuss your training/boot camp. What did you learn? What kind of physical training did you have?
-Who were your instructions, and what were they like?
-What were your reactions to the physical training, schedule, accommodations, and food?
-How often could you talk to friends and family?

-Where did you serve? At home or abroad?
-Did you serve during a war or conflict or during a time of peace?
-What were your responsibilities?
-Did you witness any combat action?
-Were you in any famous battles?
-Did you get injured?
-Did you see death and destruction; if so, how did that make you feel?
-What kind of food did you eat, and what were your living and sleeping quarters like?
-Did you get time off, and what did you do in your free time?
-Who were your friends in the military, and what were they like?
-How did you keep in touch with friends and family back home? 

-When did you return home? Describe what it was like to come back.
-Why did you leave the military?
-Did you keep in touch with your military friends?
-What have you done with your life since leaving the military?
-Do you think about your time in the service often?

-Would you recommend that a young person today join (the veteran’s branch of) the military?
-What were the most valuable skills and lessons you took away from your military service?
-How did your service affect the trajectory of your life?
-Is there anything else you want us to know about that we didn’t cover?

Step 3: Preserve and Share
-Be sure to back up your interview so that it is not lost
-Transcribe the interview if you have time, or have it transcribed
-Get permission, then share with family or friends who would be interested in having these memories

I hope you have found these suggestions helpful. Looking for more Veterans Day resources? Check out our Veterans Day Unit Study! 

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