Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is encouraging Illinois military veterans to share their stories, photos and mementos for future generations as part of the Illinois History Project.
Currently, more than 6,700 records from Illinois veterans have been submitted as part of the program, including 675 oral histories, dating from the Civil War to those serving on active duty.
The Illinois Veterans History Project coordinates with the Library of Congress to collect and preserve first-hand recollections of veterans and civilians who served the five military branches.
Giannoulias encourages the public to visit www.idaillinois.org and search Veterans History Project to view submissions, which can be searched by name, war and hometown of veterans who have submitted materials. Oral history interviews are also available on the project’s YouTube page at youtube.com/user/ilveteransproject.
In addition, Giannoulias also announced his office is forming a Veterans Advisory Board to advise on issues important to veterans and to ensure Illinois veterans are aware and take advantage of the programs and services the Secretary of State offers.
How to Submit Information
Veterans and civilians and their families are encouraged to share oral histories, photos, memoirs, obituaries, letters, service records and more to be preserved in the project.
To submit an entry, visit www.ilsos.gov/veteranshistoryproject and complete and submit an Illinois Patriot Information Form to the Illinois State Library.
Completed forms can be submitted electronically to ilvhp@ilsos.gov or by mail to the Illinois State Library, 300 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701−1796.
Stories and mementos from veterans of all ages, whether they saw conflict or not, are welcome. Any civilians who were actively involved in supporting war efforts, including war industry workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers and more, are encouraged to submit their experiences and memories.
For more information about the Illinois Veterans History Project, call (800) 665-5576 – ext. 4, email ilvhp@ilsos.gov or visit the website at www.ilsos.gov/veteranshistoryproject
