March 15, 2016 Veterans History Project Looks Back at the Persian Gulf War in New Web Feature

A quarter of a century after Operation Desert Storm, the Library of Congress Veterans History Project today launches the latest installment in its "Experiencing War" series of web features titled "The Persian Gulf War: 25 Years Later." Commemorating the more than 550,000 United States Gulf War veterans from a wide variety of backgrounds and specialties, this online exhibit showcases 12 collections, each representing a unique aspect of life during the first Gulf War. "The Persian Gulf War: 25 Years Later" can be viewed at loc.gov/vets/stories/index.html.

Featured collections include that of Capt. William Francis Andrews, who was taken prisoner by the Iraqi Republican Guard when his F-16 Fighting Falcon was shot down. "First thing I knew about it, a big explosion, a big bang in the back of my plane," Andrews recalls. "My plane pitched over. It was tumbling end over end, and I knew in the next couple of seconds I'd be grabbing for my life as I tried to reach the ejection handle."

Well-represented in this presentation are examples of the experiences of women veterans. More of them served in the Persian Gulf War than any other prior conflict. Such women as Meg Miner, who repaired jet engines during the Gulf war and later traveled across the U.S. with the famous Air Force Thunderbirds, tell their stories.

Also included is the story of Mark Jumper, who sums up being an Army chaplain with the quote: "No. one, you have to be ready at any time. You have to be a chaplain every minute, because people will approach you 24 hours, anytime, no matter what you're doing in the military."

The online presentation contains not just oral history interviews but photographs, written memoirs and other materials. It provides insight into one of the shortest, yet most fascinating conflicts in U.S. military history.

Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 to collect, preserve and make accessible the firsthand remembrances of America's war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from them and better understand the realities of war. These 100,000 collections are of veterans' first-person narratives from WWI though the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. 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 largest library in the world. 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.