September 9, 2015 Veterans History Project Commemorates the 70th Anniversary of the End of World War II with New Web Feature

The Veterans History Project (VHP) today launched a new web presentation, “End of WWII: 70th Anniversary,” the latest installment in its online Experiencing War website series. The feature highlights 15 digitized stories from the VHP collection that illustrate what the end of the war meant to those who were serving and what happened next. Shared through interviews, photographs and on film, these personal accounts encompass the jubilation and celebration that ensued, as well as the cost of war in terms of its lasting effects. These extraordinary personal accounts are digitized and accessible on VHP’s website, loc.gov/vets/.

“VHP collects and makes accessible the human experiences of war,” said Veterans History Project Director Robert Patrick. “For the millions of men and women who served in uniform in World War II, the final surrender brought relief, celebration and reunions with family and friends, along with vivid memories of wartime experiences that few would ever forget.”

Featured collections include that of John Katsu, a Japanese-American who was interned with his family in Topaz, Utah, before serving in the United States Army with the occupying forces in Germany. There he conducted democracy education programs for German youth. The feature also profiles Evelyn Kowalchuk, who worked as an Army flight nurse caring for patients being evacuated from the Normandy beaches to England. Following the war, she suffered from nightmares about what she had witnessed. Complementing these collections are home movies shot by veterans Charles Marlatt and Robert Weisbard, depicting victory parades in both New York and Europe.

Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 to collect, preserve and make accessible the first-hand remembrances of America’s war veterans from WWI through the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. For more information, visit loc.gov/vets/ or call the toll-free message line at (888) 371-5848. Subscribe to the VHP RSS to receive periodic updates of VHP news.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s first federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to advance the knowledge and creativity of the American people through its collections, programs and services. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at loc.gov.