Archiving War Veterans' Memories Online

May 27, 2005 &#151 -- In this week's "Cybershake," we take a look at the effort to honor the nation's veterans by preserving their wartime stories online. Plus, we note how some companies think you can never be too young to own and use a cell phone.

For many Americans, the Memorial Day holiday means more than just the unofficial start of the summer season and planning for recreational getaways. It's still a time to remember and honor those who served and fought in the nation's military.

And to help ensure that the memories of those veterans -- and the millions of civilian workers who supported them during times of war -- remain available to future generations, the Library of Congress has been slowly building a physical and virtual archive of wartime memories.

Under its Veterans History Project, volunteers from the Library of Congress have been sitting down with veterans to record their stories and experiences in combat, as well as reflections of their life after war. In addition to audio and digital video recordings, the national archive also includes personal photos, documents, and other memorabilia collected by the vets during their time of service.

For now, the project has collected more than 35,000 personal accounts, mostly from veterans of the two World Wars. But there are reflections from those who fought in more recent conflicts such as the Vietnam War. Many accounts, such as those of Nebraska Sen. Charles Hagel, detail the horrors and fears they faced during battle.

Recalling a night where he was wounded by a booby trap, Hagel says in his personal account: "I was as afraid that night as, I think, I've ever been because it was dark. And when it gets dark, it is dark. How many more booby traps [are] you going to walk into, that you really can't see?"

Officials with the Library of Congress are also getting "grassroots" help, appealing to veterans and others interested in preserving these personal bits of wartime history to become involved with the project. On the project's Web site, http://www.loc.gov/vets, visitors can find information on how to contribute their own stories and request a kit to send wartime-related memorabilia.