November 3 – Our nation loses at least 1,000 veterans each day, and along with them we lose their stories of courage and memories of comradeship and sacrifice. Since October 2000, when Congress created the Veterans History Project, the Library of Congress has collected and archived the oral histories, pictures and diaries of more than 66,000 American veterans.

More than 600 stories of our Tennessee Valley veterans have been permanently archived as part of the Veterans History Project. More than 100 of these local veterans’ memories were aired on Chattanooga’s WRCB-TV. Through WRCB’s television coverage, many more veterans were inspired to share their personal accounts of war.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution that I introduced with Congressman Ron Kind of Wisconsin supporting a National Veterans History Project Week designation. This would encourage more Americans to join in the effort to preserve and honor the sacrifice of the men and women who served our nation in times of war and conflict.

Freedom is passed down from one generation to the next by the American patriots who were willing to stand between a threat and our civilian population. Nearly 40 percent of the nation’s 23 million veterans are aged 65 or older. The memories of these men and women are fading and are being lost to time. It is essential that we preserve their first-hand recollections for future generations, who will have much to learn from those who have so honorably served our nation.