2015 will see the 70th Anniversary of the ending of World War Two. I’m sure the occasion will be suitably marked, both officially and unofficially. But the abiding thought that comes to my mind is that it should be the Veterans time. An opportunity for their stories to be told, for their stories to be recorded for future generations. Yes, we have thousands of biographies and histories, but I was thinking of something perhaps a little different, something from the common man and something in which we can play a part, not only in production, but also by paying back a little of the debt owed whilst there are still Veterans left alive to benefit from the gesture.
As usual with me the preamble is a little long but here’s where we get to the nitty gritty…..
This forum is populated with hundreds if not thousands of active members, all with an interest in and enthusiasm for our history. We come from all walks of life, diverse professions and all with different levels of expertise. The thing that binds us together is our common interest and willingness to help each other. What if we could capture all that energy and goodwill and create something to benefit the Veterans? We all have stories that Veterans have told us over the years, ranging from the little self deprecating anecdote to the bombshell that is occasionally dropped upon us. How about telling their stories? The stories of the ‘common unconsidered man’? Surely there is enough expertise on here (and people with the appropriate contacts) to enable us to produce a lasting tribute to those whose service and sacrifice ensure we can be the keyboard warriors we are today? There are enough Veterans charities out there who would appreciate the benefits of such a venture.
It’s seventy years almost, those who are gone deserve our recognition and respect, for those that remain it would be a tangible way of expressing our gratitude.
So many of us have often said what an incredible resource the key Forums are. We’ve all helped each other out over time with titbits of research here and there. Wouldn’t it be grand if we could actually pull something like this off?
Thoughts?
Regards,
kev35 (Kevin Mears – just think it’s an idea worth putting my name to.)
By: TwinOtter23 - 28th February 2013 at 12:24
Kev,
Sorry for the delayed response but I’ve had a rather busy couple of days.
The idea is a good one but you are getting involved in quite a busy area regarding oral histories and the like. I’m involved with several such projects both personally and professionally and there are a lot of organisations doing similar things, often with a lot more funding support behind them both from HLF and other funding bodies.
This might be making people reluctant to ‘join in’!
As a suggestion it might be worthwhile following up a contact via this weblink
http://www.modoracle.com/news/Armed-Forces-Day-Events_27081.html as they have grants available that might cover this type of project. That said it is quite a detailed application process.
Good luck!!
By: kev35 - 28th February 2013 at 12:10
Perhaps not such a good idea after all.
Regards,
kev35
By: charliehunt - 27th February 2013 at 11:06
I think it’s a splendid idea. And if all the material could be brought together under the Key umbrella ready for a commemorative publication in time for April/May 2015 with all profits going to a charity nominated by a majority of members, what better way of fulfilling the idea?
By: Bmused55 - 27th February 2013 at 10:34
I would kill to see a collection of stories from our resident WWII Veteran
By: RAFRochford - 27th February 2013 at 10:28
Kev;
A worthy idea, and I certainly have some material I could contribute.
Just to clarify, would this be for the purposes of a thread, or an idea that could be published?
Regards;
Steve
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February 27, 2013 at 10:22 am