Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project

The Upcountry History Museum has a strong oral history program, and in 2015 – 2017, they are specifically focused on collecting oral histories from Vietnam veterans. The Vietnam Veterans Oral History project will be part of the discussion at the 2015 Veterans’ Day Tribute at the Upcountry History Museum on November 14, 2015. SC Humanities supported the Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project with a Major Grant in February 2015.

Humanities scholar Sean O’Rourke will work with the museum to collect oral histories and make the recordings available in creative ways to diverse audiences, including scholars, museum visitors, educators, students, and genealogists.

The Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project unites diverse communities around a common purpose: collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that current and future generations can hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. There are over 1,500 Vietnam veterans in South Carolina today.

The Upcountry History Museum’s annual Veterans’ Day Tribute will take place on November 14, 2015, from 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The event will include a book talk and signing with veteran and author J.L. Bud Alley as he shares about his experience of the bloodiest day of the Vietnam War. The Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project will also be a topic of discussion during the day’s activities. The full schedule is available on the Upcountry History Museum Website at: http://www.upcountryhistory.org/programs/workshops-demonstrations/veterans-weekend-celebration/.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 23-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state.  It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.