Preserving Their Legacy

Letter from the Editor

by Tim Holbert

The motto of the American Veterans Center has long been “From the Greatest Generation to the Latest Generation.” Our mission cannot be only to save the history of our veterans of earlier generations, it must also include preserving it and passing it along to future generations.

All of our programs operate with this in mind, and all of them focus on providing an outlet for veterans themselves to share their lessons and experiences, first-hand. Of course, this includes American Valor Quarterly, which is the nation’s only magazine devoted entirely to veterans telling their own stories, in their own words. From the Philippines in World War II to Fallujah in Operation Iraqi Freedom, AVQ allows veterans and active duty service members the chance to share their experiences with tens of thousands of readers like you, while copies are distributed free of charge to students attending the Center’s various speaker events.

The Center’s programming goes far beyond just this magazine, however. With our long history of collaboration with the Radio America network, the Center and its subdivision the World War II Veterans Committee, has produced hundreds of oral history documentaries and interview programs featuring veterans from World War II to today. In addition to documentaries on Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and the Four Chaplains, the Center has produced World War II Chronicles, the award-winning weekly radio series which looks back on the events of World War II for that week more than 60 years ago.

Veterans Chronicles, our weekly interview series, and Proudly We Hail can be heard on more than 40 radio stations nationwide. And with the growth of the internet, both are able to reach thousands of new listeners each week, with Veterans Chronicles the most popular veterans’ podcast on the internet. All of these radio programs are also available on our website at www.americanveteranscenter.org.

Throughout the year, the Center holds a number of speaker events, including the Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Over the last decade, the conference has become one of the nation’s premier Veterans Day events, bringing together heroes from the Greatest Generation to the latest generation. The conference is open to all, but the Center makes a special point of bringing in students from all over to meet with and learn from those who have served and sacrificed on our behalf. The 2009 conference will take place from November 12-14.

Keeping with the focus on youth involvement, the Center sponsors a number of programs during the year, from summer internships where college students work with veterans to record their stories, to essay contests and college scholarships. Also, as you will read in this issue, hundreds of young people joined in the 2009 National Memorial Day Parade, helping to carry banners and pass out water and flags to the veterans in attendance. More than 300,000 spectators turned out for the parade, in addition to those around the country who watched the television broadcast.

These are just a few of the Center’s programs, dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of those who have served. None of which, I should add, are possible without the support of you and thousands of other Americans who share the belief that we should not, and cannot, forget the sacrifices of our men and women who have worn the uniform.