How to Participate:

• Register using our online form
• Print the VHP Field Kit
  
• Prepare for the interview
• Conduct the interview
• Send your collection to the Library

More Information:

Educators and students
Participants with special needs [PDF]
Frequently asked questions

Field Kit: Guidelines

Equipment

The project is able to receive nearly all formats of audio and video recordings. For best results, get to know your recording equipment and set it up in advance of the time you plan to begin the interview.

The Veterans History Project recommends that you use the best video or audio recorder and microphone(s) available to you.

For audio recordings:

• A digital or standard cassette machine is preferable to mini or micro cassette recorders.
• For better sound quality we recommend the use of external microphones rather than those build into your recorder or camera. Built-in microphones tend to produce less clear sound quality.
  • If possible, use a lapel microphone or a microphone on a stand placed in front of the interviewee.
  • Set your microphone six to twelve inches from the person being interviewed and test for sound quality by asking the person to speak, stopping the tape, rewinding, and playing back.

For video recordings:

• A tripod will be necessary.
• Focus the camera on the upper body of the person being interviewed.
• Have the view wide enough to capture hand gestures and slight sideways movements.
• Keep the camera on the person being interviewed.
• The zoom feature should be used sparingly. Pictures and artifacts discussed during the interview can be filmed at the end of the session for additional clarity.
• Be mindful of your lighting.
  • Don't videotape with a window or other bright light behind your subject, or you might not be able to distinguish their features on the recording.
  • To avoid shadows on the face, direct and even lighting is recommended.

Interview Location

The location of your interview is almost as important as the equipment you use:

• Find a quiet area. Rooms with soft surfaces such as carpeting and upholstery provide better sound quality and fewer echoes.
• Avoid chiming clocks, humming fluorescent lights, hissing air vents, ringing phones, or background noises from television, radio, or other conversations.

Conducting The Interview

Prepare for 30 to 90 minute interview. The end product gains depth if the interviewer is able to establish a relationship with the subject in advance to find out about topics that might be covered. Some research into the subject area helps to formulate questions.

Introduce each recording by stating the data, location of interview, names of persons present, and any organizations or groups that you want to acknowledge. Please spell out any names that may be unclear.

Photographs, letters, or other records can be useful to job the interviewee's memory. If the person interviewed is willing to donate photographs, letters, or other documents, they will add to the value of the interview. Originals are preferred, but high-quality, legible copies are acceptable.

Complete the Biographical Form in advance. This will give you important information that you can use in your session. The secret to a good interview is to have the right questions to move it along, but not to interrupt the person's story. He or she might be recollecting something unexpected and interesting. Try not to ask questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Ask how, when, and why questions. Keep your questions and comments brief. Be a good listener. Encourage the speaker by smiles or nods. Remember that the interview is a process of learning, so be yourself and ask for explanations if you do not understand something. Asking follow-up questions is a great way to expand on a point or to further develop the story.

Caution!
Although candor makes for a great interview, extremely derogatory statements may be regretted later.

Segments of Your Interview

As you plan your questions, it may be helpful to think of your interview as having segments.

1. For the Record.
   Here is where you record your announcement about where and when the recording is taking place, and who is present. Obviously, some questions may vary depending on whether the person interviewed was a civilian during wartime, or had a military career.
2. Jogging Memory. Ask questions like:
   • What did you do before you joined the service?
   • Where were you living?
   • Did you enlist or were you drafter?
   • Why did you choose your branch of service?
   • Tell me about your first days in the service, or, how did you get your civilian job?
   • Why did you join?
   • Dates are good memory triggers, for instance:
     • Where were you on December 7, 1941 -- the attack on Pearl Harbor?
     • Where were you when the war ended?
3. Experiences and Life. Ask questions like:
   • Where did you serve?
   • What was your job assignment?
   • Did you see combat?
   • Tell me about your most memorable experience.
   • Were there many casualties in your unit or on your ship?
   • Were you ever fearful?
   • Tell me about the food and provisions where you were.
   • How did you pass the time?
   • How did you stay in touch with people at home?
   • What did you do for recreation?
   • How did you celebrate holidays?
   • What skills or lessons did you learn?
4. After Service/After War. Ask questions like:
   • Do you recall the day you left service?
   • Where were you when the war ended?
   • What did you do in the days and weeks after your service?
   • Did you make any close friendships? Do you continue any of those relationships?
5. Later Years and Closing. Ask questions like:
   • What was your career after the war? Did your wartime career contribute to it?
   • How did your experiences contribute to your thinking about war and military service?
   • Are you a member of any veterans' or other organizations related to your service? Why?
   • Do you attend reunions?

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