VetTrails Library Submission

Before you record

Make sure the interview qualifiesThe project collects U.S. military veterans of every branch and rank, from World War I to recent conflicts, and the interviewer must be 15 or older. It does not accept interviews where someone else answers for the veteran, group interviews, or interviews not in English. Gold Star families should email the project before starting.
Print the forms
Download the Veterans History Project field kit. Every interview needs:
- Biographical Data Form
- Veteran's Release Form
- Interviewer's Release Form
- Audio and Video Recording Log
Add the Photograph Log if you send photos, and the Manuscript Data Sheet for letters, diaries or a memoir.
Check the recording format on your phoneVideo should be MP4, MOV or MPG at the highest quality your phone allows. Audio-only recordings should be WAV. iPhone video saves as MOV, which is accepted. On Android, check the format in your camera settings, and email the project if it isn't on the list.
Get your questions ready and find a quiet roomBuild a list with the VetTrails question builder. Turn off the TV, silence other phones, and test the sound for a minute first.

Start with the opening statementSay your name, the veteran's full name, the date, the city and state, anyone else in the room, and that the interview is for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.
Record at least 30 minutes, in one pieceOne veteran per recording. Don't edit or trim it afterward. The project wants the original, unedited recording.
Keep private details off the recordingNever say a Social Security number, service or serial number, or home address.

Make two copies before you send anythingKeep one for yourself and give one to the veteran or family. Keep a digital copy for at least a year. The project keeps everything you send.
Put the recording on its own USB flash drive or DVD-ROne interview per drive or disc. Don't write on or label the drive itself; put it in a labeled envelope or case instead. Plug it into a computer and make sure it plays.
Fill out and sign the formsThe veteran signs the Veteran's Release Form. If the veteran has passed, the family member donating the materials signs it. The interviewer signs the Interviewer's Release Form, with a parent or guardian also signing if the interviewer is under 18. Fill in the Biographical Data Form as completely as you can.
Fill out the Audio and Video Recording LogList the topics in the order they came up, with the minute each one starts. The recording log helper below makes this quick.
Decide whether to add photos or letters OptionalThe interview qualifies on its own. If you add photos or letters, the project needs the originals, not copies or scans, and it keeps them, so send only what the family is ready to give. Label photos lightly in soft pencil on the back or in labeled envelopes, naming people left to right. No tape, glue, staples or paper clips. Include the Photograph Log.
Leave out uniforms, dog tags and medalsThe project doesn't accept artifacts. Photograph them for the family's book instead.

Recording log helper

Play the recording back and note the minute each topic starts. Copy the result onto the Audio and Video Recording Log.

Write a cover letterList the veteran, what's in the box, and how to reach you. The cover letter maker below fills it in for you.
Pack the boxThe drive or disc, all signed forms and logs, any photos with their log, and the cover letter.
Ship it by FedEx or UPS Ground, not the Postal ServiceMail sent through the Postal Service goes through a security screening that can damage recordings. Choose ground or the least expensive option; there's no need to pay for faster delivery. The Library of Congress
Veterans History Project
101 Independence Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20540-4615
Save the tracking numberKeep it with your copy of the recording and forms.

Cover letter maker

Your name Your phone

Your email Your mailing address

Veteran's full name Branch

War or era (optional) Interviewer's name

Date of the interview Length in minutes

Recording type Saved on

Also in the box Original photographs, with a Photograph Log Original letters, a diary or a memoir, with a Manuscript Data Sheet

What you type here stays in this browser. Print the letter and sign it before you pack the box.

Watch for a postcardThe project mails a postcard within about 10 weeks to say your collection arrived.
Look up the record onlineProcessing can take 8 to 12 months. Then search the veteran's name at loc.gov/vets. Not every collection is put online in full, but each one gets a record.