On Second Thought
Newspaper reporters aren’t the only ones who can write storiesThe longer I write for the Star Herald, the more I believe the most compelling stories often don’t make it to print.That’s especially true of local war veterans and stories about their contributions to our nation’s freedom.For every account we publish of one veteran’s experiences, there are several more veterans with equally newsworthy stories that are never told.This week marked the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the day in which the United States and Allied forces invaded the German stronghold on France during World War II.On the 50th anniversary of D-day, I interviewed Luverne’s Brick Bowen, and that conversation at his kitchen table deeply affected my views of war and the price of freedom.The story 10 years ago began, "On June 7, 1944, 22-year-old Army Pvt. Brick Bowen sunk his combat boots into chest-deep waters just off the coast of Normandy, France, and waded into what would be some of the bloodiest fighting in history."Today, 82-year-old Bowen holds a Purple Heart for his contributions, which nearly killed him.The story was published in the June 2, 1994, Star Herald:"He suffered shrapnel wounds in his neck - dangerously close to his jugular vein - and in his left leg above the knee and in his left foot.‘When I came to I was all full of blood,’ Bowen said. He remembers looking around, seeing bodies, but nobody moving. He didn't know where he was.His unit had become separated from each other. ‘I was the only one out of the whole platoon that made it out of there that day ... They were all blown apart,’ Bowen recalled sadly. ‘There was a path, and I followed this path ...’After stumbling over dead American soldiers to get there, Bowen said he finally found a small enclave of American troops. There was a plane about to leave for an England hospital, and it had just one spot left."We’re lucky to know Bowen’s story, but he’s part of a shrinking group of World War II veterans still alive to share their stories. It’s time to start recording them …We can all be newspaper reportersRecognizing the importance of these stories to U.S. history, Congress has created the Veterans History Project.Star Herald reader Tammy Krogmann sent me literature on the project and she suggested I share the idea with other readers."Every veteran has a story to tell, no matter where you served, your rank or branch of service," the postcard reads. "Preserving the memories of wartime veterans and civilians who served in support of them was the goal of Congress when it created the Veterans History Project."Here’s how to contribute to the project.Step 1: Go to www.loc.gov/vets, or call 888-371-5848, for a memoir project kit (which includes sample questions, a registration form and instructions).Step 2: Find a veteran who served in World War I, World War II, Korean, Vietnam or Persian Gulf Wars and record their story.Step 3: Fill out the registration form and assemble photographs, maps, diaries, audio and videotapes you want to be preserved.Step 4: Send the kit to Veterans History Project, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, D.C., 20540-4615. The Star Herald will continue to publish stories about local veterans, but this is one way we can all help current and future generations learn history from those who lived it.