Share Your Story
The Foundation collected first-hand accounts from Oregonians who served and from the families who waited at home. It may be your story, or one from a relative or a friend.
The original submission form went down with the old site. A new one is being built. In the meantime, the guidance the Foundation wrote for recording a story still stands, and it is worth doing now rather than later.
How to record a story
You can record yourself with a phone. Set the camera to video, press record, and check that the camera facing you is the one that’s on. It may take a couple of tries. You will probably find it easier than you expect.
Make a few notes first, so you cover everything you want to.
- When were you, or the subject of the recording, serving?
- Where?
- What unit?
- What rank were you?
- How did you feel?
- Were there other people involved?
- Special equipment?
- How did you communicate with family back home?
- How did the service affect you?
Tell the personal stories. It is the small details of tiny moments that help people understand history, and they make for a far better recording than a summary does. If you remember your service in terms of the history around it, include that too.
Relax. Ask a family member for help. Asking a son, daughter, or grandchild to sit with you is a good way to hand the history on while you record it.
The Library of Congress Veterans History Project has a great deal more guidance on recording, and is worth reading before you start.
A grateful state wishes you well.