StoryCorps has been hard at work this year, partnering with local stations around the country to record stories of veterans and their families in hopes of continuing to be a positive platform for them to share their stories.
Founded in 2003, StoryCorps has given nearly 700,000 people, in all 50 states, the opportunity to record conversations about their lives through initiatives such as Brightness in Black, September 11th Initiative, Memory Loss Initiative, and Military Voices Initiative, among others.
The nonprofit began the Military Voices Initiative in 2013 to bridge the gap between veterans and civilians. It provides a platform for veterans, service members, and their families to record their stories and share them with the public.
StoryCorps has worked in partnership with veteran service organizations across the country, such as Blue Star Families, Veterans History Project and The American Military Partner Association, and, in the past, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to make the initiative possible.
On Friday, CPB announced it would cease operations after being defunded by Congress. It is unclear how adversely this will impact StoryCorps and its initiatives, including the Military Voices Initiative.
“The powerful stories of those who have served our country document the leadership and sacrifice it takes to protect and preserve our freedoms and democracy,” said Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, before the announcement. “CPB is committed to supporting StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative, which ensures that these stories will be accessible to future generations.”
Since its inception, the initiative has collected more than 3,500 interviews with current and former service members from all over the country.
Active service members, veterans and their loved ones have been encouraged each year to record conversations with a trained StoryCorps facilitator as part of the tour, which has included stops in Indianapolis, in partnership with WFYI; Tampa, Fla., in partnership with WUSF; and Newark, N.J., in partnership with WBGO.
Recordings from the Military Voices Initiative, like all StoryCorps interviews, are preserved for posterity in StoryCorps’ online archive, where most are accessible to the public, as well as at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered.
StoryCorps at times also shares edited versions of interviews collected throughout the tour via its podcast, animated shorts, NPR broadcasts and other digital platforms.
"The annual Military Voices Initiative tour reflects StoryCorps' ongoing commitment to recording and preserving the stories of service members and their loved ones, stories we rarely see in media," said StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark, who is also the daughter of a career soldier. "Military service is unique, an honor, and an enormous sacrifice. Stories told in the voices of those who live it are a gift and help Americans fully appreciate those who have raised their hands to serve all of us.”
To listen to some of the military stories, click here.