Wisconsin Public Radio seeks veterans, service members and military families to share their stories

Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) teams up with Story-Corps, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of people from all backgrounds and beliefs, for the Military Voices Initiative. Together, they will honor Wisconsin’s veteran and military community by recording and preserving their stories Aug. 24 through Sept. 4.

With limited space available, veterans, active service members and families are encouraged to reserve a virtual recording time now at StoryCorps.org/military or by calling 800.850.4406 (English and Spanish available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Seeking representation from all branches and eras, WPR is especially interested in recording the experiences of veterans and service members from underrepresented and marginalized populations in our state. These include women, African American, Latinx, Native American, Hmong/Lao and LGBTQ veterans among others.

“From our partnership with PBS Wisconsin on the LZ Lambeau Welcome Home project, to our work with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on ‘Wisconsin Remembers,’ we have been honored to help tell the story of Wisconsin’s veterans and their families over the past decade,” said WPR director Mike Crane. “All of it has been personal. All of it has been powerful. This opportunity with StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative is a very special continuation of that commitment.”

Nearly half a million people of all backgrounds and beliefs have recorded a StoryCorps conversation. The organization preserves the recordings in its archive at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered. In a StoryCorps interview, two people are able to record a meaningful conversation with one another about who they are, what they’ve learned in life, and how they want to be remembered.

The Military Voices Initiative builds on this notion and contributes to StoryCorps’ diverse collection by recording and preserving the stories of veterans, service members, and military families. It is an opportunity for them to share their experiences in their own words. It is also an opportunity for civilians to understand more clearly the complex realities of veterans’ service and sacrifice.

StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).