Hoyer Kicks-off Veterans History Project at College Park Aviation Museum
Hoyer Kicks-off Veterans History Project at College Park Aviation Museum
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) visited the College Park Aviation Museum Saturday, February 10, 2007, to initiate the museum's participation in the Veterans History Project and to commemorate the contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen, America's first black military pilots, whose triumphs are particularly resonant as the nation celebrates Black History Month.
The Veterans History Project, sponsored by Hoyer in 2000, is a mission of the Library of Congress aimed at collecting oral history interviews, memoirs, letters, diaries, photographs, and other original materials from veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf Wars and the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts.
"Every U.S. veteran carries with him or her an important piece of American history. The Veterans History Project seeks to collect that history, and in doing so, pays tribute to the brave men and women who have sacrificed to protect and preserve the ideals of this nation," stated Hoyer. "I urge people to participate in the project to collect the stories of our nation's veterans so that current and future generations can better understand the realities of war and the sacrifices of those called to fight."
While at the museum, Congressman Hoyer had an opportunity to interview a veteran of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, First Lieutenant Curtis Robinson, and record his story for the project. Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Robinson has earned an air medal and several theater ribbons, and has written a book - A Pilot's Journey - chronicling his wartime experiences.
"It is my great honor to have the opportunity to interview a member of this very accomplished and prestigious company," said Hoyer. "The Tuskegee Airmen embody the very best and bravest our country has to offer and their stories are critical pieces of our nation's wartime history. As the nation celebrates Black History Month, it is important that we recognize these contributions and those of all African Americans."
If you are a veteran interested in having your story enshrined into the Library of Congress, please contact Terrance Taylor at 301-474-0119.
http://hoyer.house.gov/newsroom/index.asp?ID=857