Your Veteran's Story
Most families reduce a veteran's whole service to one sentence. He will fill in the rest if somebody asks properly, and almost nobody ever does.
20 Questions to Ask a Veteran, and Where Not to Start
The reason he says nothing is almost never the reason the family assumes. It is that every question so far has been the one question he cannot answer.
6 min read
How to Record a Veteran's Story Without It Becoming an Interview
A camera on a tripod and a list of questions produces a performance. Here is the setup that produces the actual account.
4 min read
Veterans Day Gift Ideas for a Dad Who Has Everything
He does not need another cap. What almost no veteran has been given is the thing he would most like: somebody asking properly, and writing it down.
4 min read
Questions to Ask a Vietnam Veteran, and What to Avoid
The service is only half of what this generation carries. The other half is what happened when they got back, and it is the part nobody asks about.
5 min read
What to Do With Military Photos and Letters You Have Inherited
An unlabelled photograph has a shelf life of exactly one generation. After that it is a picture of a stranger, and no amount of care will bring the name back.
4 min read