An Eagle Scout's Tribute to Veterans
All major military conflicts since
World War I represented:
World War II Vietnam War
Korean War Gulf War
Cold War Afghanistan/Iraq War
Historic military events covered included:
D-Day
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Okinawa
Tet Offensive
Invasion of Iraq
U.S. veterans interviewed included:
Nelson DeMille - best-selling author and Vietnam War veteran, U.S. Army
Phil Klay - award winning author of Redeployment and Iraqi War veteran, U.S. Marine Corps
J.R. Martinez - actor, motivational speaker, and Iraqi War veteran, U.S. Army
Helped beta test new VHP smartphone app:
Provided VHP with comments to improve app for future users
My Eagle Scout project was to lead a team to interview U.S. veterans to record the verbal accounts of their service for submission to the Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project (VHP). My project included interviews from veterans from American Legion Post 304, the long-time sponsor of my Boy Scout troop, and from other veterans sourced through my personal network. The interviews were conducted by a team of my fellow Scouts, my friends and others from my community. I trained this team on how to properly conduct and record an interview and on what was required in order for the interview to be acceptable to the VHP.
All four branches of the military represented:
U.S. Air Force U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Army U.S. Navy
Project Highlights:
22 audio or smartphone app interviews of U.S. veterans completed and submitted to the VHP
13 Scout and other volunteers trained, including 9 volunteer interviewers
“I participated in Jason's Eagle Scout project and it literally changed my life. I had the honor of interviewing a 93 year old WWII veteran who fought in both D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. In awe, I asked him how he endured through such unimaginably difficult circumstances and he told me he just did his job. This incredible man was not looking for affirmation or to be viewed as a hero. His message was simple, but overwhelmingly impactful…just do your job. Now, daily annoyances and challenges that might have bothered me in the past no longer do and I just happily…do my job."
-- Jon Z., Volunteer Interviewer