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Take a virtual tour of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

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vietnam veterans memorial virtual reality

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vietnam veterans memorial in virtual reality

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Virtually explore Vietnam Veterans Memorial in a fully immersive 360-degree experience.

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A monument in Germany acknowledges Halvorsen's contributions during the Berlin Airlift. OFTW/Wikimedia Commons

Gail S. Halvorsen, a U.S. military pilot known as the “Candy Bomber” who, during the Cold War, dropped sweets from his plane to German children in West Berlin, passed away on February 16 at age 101, report Colleen Slevin and Kirsten Grieshaber for the Associated Press (AP). He died in his home state of Utah after suffering a brief illness. His funeral took place this week in Provo, Utah.

Remembered in Germany as Der Schokoladen Flieger, the Chocolate Flyer, Halvorsen first served as an Army Air Force pilot in World War II, flying transport planes in England, Italy and North Africa, reports Angela Cullen for Bloomberg in the Boston Globe.

After the war, when Soviet Union leader Josef Stalin occupied West Berlin in 1948, Halvorsen participated in the Berlin Airlift, a joint military effort between America and the United Kingdom to deliver food and aid to the German city.

At first, Halvorsen wasn’t fond of the idea of helping a country he had just been at war with, citing the loss of his fellow servicemen.

“Several of my buddies had returned from the war to see their previously conceived child for the first time,” he said, per his foundation website.  “Many did not return. They would not see their newborn child in this life.”

Children in West Berlin wave to an American pilot in 1948. United States Air Force Historical Research Agency

However, Halvorsen tells HistoryNet’s David Lauterborn that an encounter with a group of young German children watching Allied soldiers arrive at the Templehof air base helped put things into perspective. Through a barbed-wire perimeter fence, they spoke to him.

“These kids were giving me a lecture, telling me, “Don’t give up on us. If we lose our freedom, we’ll never get it back,” Halvorsen tells HistoryNet. “I just flipped. Got so interested, I forgot what time it was.”

The pilot then handed the children two sticks of gum and told them to come back the next day, when he planned to airdrop more sweets. He would wiggle the wings of his aircraft so they would know it was him, reports the Boston Globe.

Halvorsen lived up to his promise, asking other pilots to donate their candy rations and having his flight engineer rock the airplane during the drop. Things grew from there, as more and more children showed up to catch his airdrops and letters began to arrive “requesting special airdrops at other points in the city,” writes the Air Force. The peculiar wing maneuver was how Halvorsen earned his other nickname: 'Uncle Wiggly Wings.'

After newspapers got wind of what was happening, Halvorsen’s superiors realized what he was doing and the PR opportunity it offered, writes Kat Eschner for Smithsonian magazine. Chocolate and candy donations began to pour in from the United States. Though Halvorsen himself was recalled by the military for a promotional tour, he had begun an international effort to get candy to the children of West Berlin.

For months, the Air Force pilot would continue this mission—nicknamed “Operation Little Vittles”—dropping more than 21 tons of candy in 250,000 small parachutes, per Stacy Roman of Stars & Stripes in a 2020 article. Dozens of other pilots followed his example and also dropped candy to children.

During the airlift, Allied planes carrying supplies landed every 45 seconds at Templehoff Airport in Berlin. From June 1948, the pilots delivered 2.3 million tons of food, coal, medicine and other necessities on 278,000 flights up until the end of the Soviet blockade in May 1949, according to the AP.

Halvorsen remained in the military after the war, retiring as a colonel in 1974 from the Air Force, reports Richard Goldstein for the New York Times. He moved back to Utah and became assistant dean of student life at Brigham Young University in Provo.

That same year, Halvorsen received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his efforts as the “Candy Bomber,” per the Boston Globe.

A monument in Germany acknowledges Halvorsen's contributions during the Berlin Airlift. OFTW/Wikimedia Commons

In 1980, he helped kick off the Airlift of Understanding, an exchange program for students in Berlin and Utah, according to Richard Goldstein of the New York Times. Over the years, he made about 35 goodwill trips to Berlin and wrote of his experiences in the book The Berlin Candy Bomber. In 2016, he established the Gail S. Halvorsen Foundation to share the pilot’s legacy of service, fostering “gratitude, hope, service before self,” according to the website.

Halvorsen’s actions still resonate with the German people, who fondly remember the young pilot who dropped flour, oil and butter during desperate times when the city was bombed and its residents were starving, per the AP. He was honored in a final visit to Berlin in 2019 during the 70th-anniversary celebration of the end of the Soviet blockade.

“Halvorsen’s deeply human act has never been forgotten,” Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said in a statement, according to the AP.

Halvorsen is greeted by children in Berlin during a 2016 visit to Germany. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joe W. McFadden

Dagmar Weiss Snodgrass, an 89-year-old German woman who was in Berlin at the time, shared how Halvorsen’s actions brought her family joy, “I remember his face because he was smiling at me and he was pointing into a duffel bag,” Snodgrass tells a group of students at Pittsburgh University in 2018. “I reached in, grabbed something, and it was a little wrapped gift. My first Christmas gift. All I could think about was that I need to get home and share it with my mom.”

For Halvorsen, his experience with the German people left an equally deep impact.

“The airlift reminded me that the only way to fulfillment in life, real fulfillment, is to serve others,” he told CNN on the Berlin Airlift’s 40th anniversary, per the New York Times. “I was taught that as a youth in my church, and I found when I flew day and night to serve a former enemy, that my feelings of fulfillment and being worthwhile were the strongest that I’ve felt.”

Air Transportation Airplanes Candy Cold War Germany Military US Military World War II

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How the ‘Candy Bomber’ Left a Lasting Legacy in Cold War Germany

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Former WWII pilot Gail S. Halvorsen is still fondly remembered as the American who delivered sweets to German children during the Berlin Airlift

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The Candy Bomber: Gail S. Halvorsen Aviation Education Foundation

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Remember
the Candy Bomber

Date: May 20th & 21st, 2022

Join us as we remember and celebrate his life of service, his indominable spirit, and the smile that lit the way during the Berlin Airlift with flyovers, displays, activities, musical performances, food trucks, a sneak peak at the Halvorsen Heritage Center, and a Spirit of Freedom candy drop!

Be challenged and inspired to become a Candy Bomber yourself and see what a difference you can make in the world around you.

Location:
Spanish Fork Airport
2050 N 300 W
Spanish Fork, UT 84660

Upcoming Events

Dear Friends of The CANDY BOMBER,

The Candy Bomber, Colonel Gail Halvorsen, made his last flight February 16, 2022. This compassionate, humble patriot dedicated his life to humanity and making our world a better place. During the 1948 Berlin Airlift he showed the world a simple act of kindness, could change the course of history. His message of Hope seems even more important today than ever before

We invite you to join us in remembering and celebrating the Candy Bomber. We want to inspire and challenge current and future generations with his story. Please help us preserve his legacy of Hope. Join us for the Celebration on Friday May 20 th and Saturday May 21 st 2022 in the Provo Utah area. Find more details about Gail's story and the event at thecandybomber.org

Whether you can or cannot join us please consider supporting Gail's legacy of hope by donating to his Foundation.

Donations can be made at the following: thecandybomber.org/donate.

The Gail Halvorsen AEF is a GuideStar Platinum 501(c)(3) organization GuidestarProfile.

With Sincere Gratitude,

James R. Stewart, Colonel, USAF Retired

Executive Director

May 9th-11th Event: 1st Annual Utah Aeronautics Conference in Provo

Provo Marriott Hotel & Conference Center

220 W Center in Provo, UT

go to utahaero.com for more details.

Colonel Gall S. Halvorsen is a light to the world. He brought that light to the children of Berlin during the Berlin Airlift and became known to them as Uncle Wiggly Wings and The Candy Bomber. He has been sharing that light with children the world over since then with his message of 'service before self, attitude, gratitude, and the power of little things adding up to big things."

Learn more about his legacy and how you can help keep it alive.

Operation Vittles Operation Little Vittles

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Miles flown during the airlift, almost the distance from the earth to the sun

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Tons of food and fuel delivered to Berlin

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Parachutes used in Operation Little Vittles

Gail's Legacy of Service

The airlift taught Gail to look outside himself and find ways to bring hope to others. The Foundation continues that legacy by bringing his principles of gratitude and service before self to schools and community organizations throughout the valley, along with giving students opportunities in STEM and aviation education.

The Foundation works to continue Col. Gail Halvorsen's mission to share the values that have led his life or 100 years... "gratitude, hope, service before self and little things add up to big things."

The Foundation carries on Gail's legacy of service in the community through service projects, community programs and in partnership with the Civil Air Patrol, Spanish Fork City and the Spanish Fork Airport.

The Foundation is working to fulfill Gail's mission to educate the next generation of aviators through the Mobile STEM Learning Center and other programs in elementary schools.

The Foundation carries on Gail's legacy of inspiration through our Speakers Bureau and the Halvorsen Heritage Center.

Giving Students Wings

The Gail S. Halvorsen Foundation seeks to share Col. Halvorsen's love of aviation and learning with motivational exposure and hands-on aviation themed STEM experiences with students in a variety of ways.

Classroom Presentations

Speaker and Presenters

Mobile STEM Learning Center visits to your neighborhood or school

Summer Aviation Camps

Tours & Programs at the Halvorsen Heritage Center at the Spanish Fork Airport

Educational Resources available to parents and educators

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The Candy Bomber: Gail S. Halvorsen Aviation Education Foundation

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Date: May 20th & 21st, 2022 Join us as we remember and celebrate his life of service, his indominable spirit, and the smile that lit the way during the Berlin Airlift with flyovers, displays, activities, musical performances, food trucks, a sneak peak at the Halvorsen Heritage Center, and a Spirit of Freedom candy drop!

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'The Candy Bomber' Honored in Germany 70 Years After Historic Berlin Airlift

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Information about the Vietnam Memorial for students.

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Information about the Vietnam Memorial for students.

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Maya Lin: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Designer | BIO Shorts | Biography

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Background information about Maya Lin for teachers.

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Background information about Maya Lin for teachers.

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Maya Lin on the challenges and triumphs of designing the Vietnam Veterans memorial

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Maya Lin (born October 5, 1959, Athens, Ohio, U.S.) is an American architect and sculptor concerned with environmental themes who is best known for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The daughter of intellectuals who had fled China in 1948, Lin received a bachelor's degree in 1981 from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where she studied architecture and sculpture. During her senior year she entered a nationwide competition sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to create a design for a monument honouring those who had served and died in that war. Lin's award-winning design consisted of a polished black granite V-shaped wall inscribed with the names of the approximately 58,000 men and women who were killed or missing in action. This minimal plan was in sharp contrast to the traditional format for a memorial, which usually included figurative, heroic sculpture. The design aroused a great deal of controversy, reflecting the lack of resolution of the national conflicts over the war, as well as the lack of consensus over what constituted an appropriate memorial at the end of the 20th century. Eventually, a compromise was reached with the commissioning of a traditional statue depicting three servicemen with a flag to stand at the entrance to the memorial. After Lin's monument was dedicated on the Mall in Washington, D.C., on Veterans Day in 1982, however, it became a popular and affecting tourist attraction. In 2005 the American Institute of Architects conferred upon the monument its 25-Year Award, given to a structure that has proved its worth over time.

Lin sought anonymity by returning to academia, beginning graduate studies in architecture at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In early 1983 she left Harvard to work for a Boston architect, and in 1986 she completed a master's degree in architecture at Yale. In 1988 Lin agreed to design a monument for the civil rights movement on behalf of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Her design consisted of two elements: a curved black granite wall inscribed with a quotation from Martin Luther King, Jr., and a 12-foot- (3.7-metre-) diameter disk bearing the dates of the major events of the civil rights era and the names of 40 people who were martyrs to the cause. Water flows gently over both parts of the memorial. The Civil Rights Memorial was dedicated in Montgomery, Alabama, in November 1989.

In an attempt to avoid being typecast as a builder of memorials, Lin in the 1990s shifted her attention to other forms of art and architecture. Many of her artworks, from small sculptures displayed in galleries to large environmental installations, took their inspiration from the natural features and landscape of Earth. In a series of "wave fields" ( The Wave Field [1995] in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Flutter [2005] in Miami; and Storm King Wavefield [2009] in Mountainville, New York), for instance, she reshaped grass-covered terrain to resemble undulating ocean waves. Lin also explored the ways individuals experience the landscape through a series of constructed topographies, as in 2×4 Landscape and Blue Lake Pass (both 2006), and she considered bodies of water in such works as the sculpture Silver Ontario(2012-13) and the site-specific installation A River Is a Drawing (2018). In Madison Square Park, New York, Lin planted a temporary grove of dead Atlantic white cedars killed after rising seawater caused saltwater inundation. The work, Ghost Trees (2021), sought to draw attention to the often unseen effects of climate change.

In 2000 Lin was commissioned to create a series of seven art installations along the Columbia River to honour the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. These pieces-which ranged in size and scale from a fish-cleaning table inscribed with the Chinook origin story to a pedestrian bridge spanning a state highway-examined the historical impact of the expedition on the native peoples and on the land of the Pacific Northwest. Lin's interest in environmentalism reached its apotheosis with the multimedia project What Is Missing? (begun 2009), an exploration of the growing threats to biodiversity that she referred to as her "final memorial."

Among Lin's other large-scale works are Topo (1991), a topiary park in Charlotte, North Carolina, created in collaboration with landscape architect Henry F. Arnold; The Women's Table (1993), a sculpture commemorating the coeducation of women at Yale; and Groundswell (1993), an installation of 43 tons of glass pebbles at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio. Her architectural achievements, which were noted for their emphasis on sustainability, include designs for the Langston Hughes Library (1999), a converted barn in Clinton, Tennessee; the Museum of Chinese in America (2009) in New York City; and the Neilson Library (2021) at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts.

In 1995 the feature-length film Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1994), written and directed by Freida Lee Mock, won the Oscar for best documentary. Lin was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2009 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

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Maya Lin | Biography, Art, Vietnam Memorial, & Facts

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Maya Lin, American architect and sculptor concerned with environmental themes who is best known for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C. Her later works are inspired by the natural features of Earth, as in her series of 'wave fields.'

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4 Types of Poetry and Why Students Should Study Them - Learning Liftoff

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A look at four common types of poetry — free verse, haiku, limerick, sonnet — and how the study of poetry is important and beneficial for all students.

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There are so many different types of poems for kids to learn about. Poetry is an important tool that can be used in the classroom to reinforce reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The natural rhythms and rhymes of poems help kids build their fluency and expression. Poetry is also great for making inferences, connections, and visualizations. Kids love to create their own poems and share them with the class. Click on any of these 12 different types of poems below to get more activities and resources.

Types of Poems

Poetry Activities

Would you love to have all 12 types of poems with activities and writing paper? In the beginning, I created these resources out of necessity. When it came time to teach poetry in the classroom, I quickly realized there were limited materials. It took a lot of time and energy to create resources for each type of poem. Now my students and I both agree that poetry is one of our favorite writing units. My hope is to save you the extra work so you and your kids can get started enjoying poetry too! Click the picture below for the poetry bundle.

Poetry Covers

Now that you know some of the types of poems for kids, think about having students write their own to create a poetry journal. Click the picture below or this link to download FREE cover pages.

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Types of Poems for Kids to Read and Write - Vibrant Teaching

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There are so many different types of poems for kids to learn about. Poetry is an important tool that can be used in the classroom to reinforce reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The natural rhythms and rhymes of poems help kids build their fluency and expression.

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This is a cute song to help learn the parts of a letter.

Here are several free powerpoints that teach letter writing. You can flip through the slides on your computer while discussing the concepts.

Dear Mr. Blueberry

Dear Mr. Henshaw

Now, let's have fun practicing letter writing skills. Remember to relate this skill to real life as much as possible so your child sees the importance of writing letters.

Write thank you letters, letters to encourage missionaries, and letters to good friends and family members. Here is a free letter writing template to help you get started.

My kids write Santa a letter every year before Christmas. If we leave the letters in our mailbox with a return address, our local post office will write the children back. Some years my oldest son would also write them back. He was practicing his letter writing skills, too. :)

Did you know that there is a city in Canada named the "North Pole" that has volunteers who spend over 190,000 hours every year writing children back for Canada's Write to Santa program. My favorite part is that the letter from Santa is personalized and postmarked from The North Pole!

The Amazing Kids! PenPals Program is a safe way for children to find a Pen Pal. It is a literacy-based, traditional letter writing pen pal program, available to all children ages 5-17 worldwide.

Use the Letter Generator for an interactive approach to writing letters.

I like how it walks the child through the letter writing process step-by-step and teaches them about each step along the way. This is my favorite on-line resource for writing both friendly and business letters.

Write your favorite author. As an author myself, I can tell you firsthand that authors love hearing from their readers. My oldest son wrote his favorite author, Mary Pope Osborne, several years ago and he was thrilled when he received this letter back from her.

Write a government official. It can be your mayor, governor, or any other elected officials. My children recently wrote the president a letter, and they were so happy to receive a packet of goodies in the mail from the White House.

Write a celebrity. My oldest son loves Jay Leno's amazing car collection, so he wrote Jay a letter to discuss it. Look at what he received back- an autographed photo along with a letter! He keeps the photograph framed in his bedroom. It will always be a wonderful keepsake.

Write an athlete. My two middle boys have been big fans of Tim Tebow. After they read his book, Through My Eyes, they wrote him a letter. A few weeks later, they received a letter and a postcard in the mail from Mr. Tebow's organization. Very cool!

Enjoy making writing letters FUN!

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Teaching children how to write letters can be a fun experience. Even though traditional letter writing has taken a backseat to other popular forms of electronic correspondence, such as emails and texts, it's still an important skill children need to practice. Here are some ways to make it exciting!

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Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a new series, called Georgia Groundbreakers, that celebrates innovative and visionary faculty, students, alumni and leaders throughout the history of the University of Georgia — and their profound, enduring impact on our state, our nation and the world.

It began with a simple idea from a University of Georgia professor — sell poppy flowers to raise money on behalf of soldiers killed and injured in World War I.

Now, nearly 100 years and billions of dollars later, the poppy has become the international symbol of remembrance and support for all military veterans, thanks to the tireless efforts of Moina Belle Michael, affectionately known today as “The Poppy Lady.”

“During her lifetime, if you adjust for inflation, poppy sales raised $3 billion worldwide, most of which went directly to veterans,” said Tom Michael, a great nephew of Moina Michael, who died in 1944. “She championed the poppy as a permanent symbol and reminder of our collective obligation to support our veterans and their families And through all the poppy sales around the world, her legacy of helping veterans lives on.”

Moina Michael, an education professor from the small Georgia town of Good Hope, was in Germany on the final leg of a European vacation when World War I broke out in 1914 — forcing her to flee to Italy to find a ship that would carry her home.

Moina Michael poses with the Poppy Lady Doll, a replica of her, that won a national doll competition held by the Federation Woman’s Club in 1932. Michael retired from UGA in 1938 after having worked in education for 54 years.

After a harrowing 16-day trip through mine-infested waters and an ocean patrolled by enemy submarines, she returned to the relative quiet of her Athens, Georgia, home — but did not find peace. The nation was fixated on the war, and Michael did everything she could to bring comfort to soldiers awaiting deployment.

She made sure soldiers were adopted by local families. She also set up a campaign for the families to write the soldiers while they were overseas.

“How busy everyone was kept back in those early days responding to and arousing others to respond to the superhuman struggles to win the war,” Michael wrote in her autobiography. “I anguished for some power by which our boys might be saved from gas, bombs [and] shrapnel.”

During the war, Michael volunteered with the National YMCA. It was while she was working for the war effort in New York that she was struck by a sudden inspiration.

A young soldier left a copy of Ladies Home Journal on her desk with a marked page containing Lt. Col. John McCrae’s famous poem “In Flanders Fields,” about the war’s devastation.

“The last verse transfixed me,” she wrote. “‘To you from failing hands we throw the Torch; be yours to hold ir high. If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders Fields.'”

On Nov. 9, 1918 — two days before the armistice that ended World War I — she wrote her own reply to McCrae’s poem — entitled “We Shall Keep the Faith” — and decided “always to wear a red poppy of Flanders Fields as a sign of remembrance and emblem of ‘keeping the faith with all who died.'”

She left her office and scoured local flower shops in search of silk poppies to share with businessmen, veterans and soldiers.

Red poppies are blooming in the median of U.S. 78 between Athens and Monroe. The traditional World War I memorial poppies were planted by the Georgia Department of Transportation in cooperation with the Georgia World War I Centennial Commission. That stretch of highway is named for Moina Michael, long-time UGA faculty member who developed the idea of using red poppies to support veterans of World War I, and ultimately of all wars. Michael, who came to be known worldwide as “The Poppy Lady,” was from the nearby town of Good Hope in Walton County. Photo credit: Tom Jackson

After the war, Athens and the University of Georgia became a hub for veteran rehabilitation. Michael taught a class of disabled servicemen and every Monday attended Disabled American Veterans chapter meetings. She even planted poppies on what is now UGA’s Health Sciences Campus.

She also launched a national letter-writing campaign encouraging others to adopt the poppy. The American Legion designated the red poppy as its official flower in 1920, and distribution of poppies became a Legion national program in 1924.

“The soldiers who made the poppies for sale in America were classified as unfit for any employment by the government because of their war injuries. So they couldn’t be hired. But they could make these little poppies,” said Tom Michael, who has donated historic materials about his great aunt Moina to UGA’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Other countries quickly followed suit. Remembrance poppies have been worn in the U.K., Australia and Canada since 1921 and since 1922 in New Zealand.

Learn more about the outstanding UGA men and women in the Georgia Groundbreakers series.

In the United Kingdom, many don a red poppy on Remembrance Day — a holiday similar to Veterans Day, which also is observed on Nov. 11. There, the British Royal Legion distributes about 45 million remembrance poppies and raises about $64 million annually to assist retired or injured soldiers. The funds support recovery centers, dementia care, medical expenses and even household repairs for veterans.

In 2016, nearly 3.5 million American Legion Auxiliary poppies were distributed, raising $2.1 million for American veterans.

The U.S. Postal Service released a 3-cent stamp in 1948 featuring Michael.

Michael was even featured on a U.S. postage stamp in 1948 — a red 3-cent stamp with her image, name and the title “Founder of Memorial Poppy.”

Yet today, she is one of UGA’s hidden treasures.

“Most people in Georgia don’t know who she is,” said Marie Mize, a library associate in the UGA School of Law and a member of the Moina Michael Poppy Project, a group that raises awareness for Michael and sells craft poppies to benefit veterans.

“I knew about her because my parents were both members of the American Legion. My father was a veteran and as a kid, I would go with my mom and we would sell poppies for the American Legion,” Mize said. Members of her group crochet and cross-stitch poppies using plastic canvas and paper. They sell them online and at festivals.

“We’ve been working for three years now to buy an all-terrain wheelchair for a veteran (through the Independence Fund). That’s $15,000. That’s a lot of $3 and $5 poppies,” Mize added.

With the centennial of the armistice approaching, there is renewed interest in remembering Michael and her unyielding dedication to soldiers.

In her hometown of Good Hope, there’s a road named after Michael and a corresponding historical marker. Another historical marker denotes her birthplace. Good Hope changed its annual fall festival to the Poppy Festival to honor Michael. The festival features history displays, a bike ride, a Miss Poppy Pageant, and vendors selling items from handmade poppy crafts to poppy T-shirts.

And in downtown Athens, there’s a plaque remembering the “poppy lady” across from UGA’s historic Arch in the Broad Street median.

“The fact that she was able to accomplish what she did as a woman from Georgia in her day and age was truly remarkable,” said James Cobb, B. Phinizy Spalding Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Georgia. “For many Americans, our intervention in World War I quickly became something to forget rather than celebrate. Her actions helped to reaffirm the strength of patriotic sentiment.”

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The Poppy Lady: Moina Michael started a movement for veterans - UGA Today

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It began with a simple idea from a UGA professor — sell poppy flowers to support veterans.

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Operation Gratitude is a non-profit organization that will deliver handwritten letters to military service members, veterans, and first responders.

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Testimonial Highlights

You give us a piece of the home we are away from. Thank you so much to all of you who take time from your life to send us these things. Especially when we get cards and letters from school children. It’s a reminder of why I do what I do.

There is a place in Operation Gratitude for everyone to feel wanted, to pay it forward or say thank you regardless of age or physical limitations.

Writing a letter is a meaningful way for Americans to say “Thank You” support for all who serve. It only takes five minutes of your day but will bring lasting joy to the recipients. Operation Gratitude includes handwritten letters in every Care Package sent to Military and First Responders. In these unprecedented times, our heroes need our unwavering support. Taking the time to put pen to paper and share your heartfelt thoughts can be what motivates a First Responder or a service member.

Step 1
Register

Register to write letters to our Military & First Responders!

School teachers

Register to write letters with your students and receive our complete letter writing guide for schools.

Step 2
Read Guide

After registering, we email you a letter-writing guide, printable coloring sheets for children, and instructions for shipping the letters to us. Download and read the guides.

Step 3
Write Letters

Get creative! Write letters, draw pictures, make cards and send your gratitude and support to our Military & First Responders.

Step 4
Donation Form

Fill out the online donation form. This form lets us know when you are ready send us your letters. It also provides you with detailed instructions and labels for shipping. (Postage not included)

Step 5
Ship Letters

Follow the shipping guidelines in the letter-writing guide email you received when you submit an online donation form.

Join Us in Letter Writing

A Gallery

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Writing a letter is a meaningful way for Americans to say “Thank You” support for all who serve. It only takes five minutes of your day but will bring lasting joy to the recipients. Operation Gratitude includes handwritten letters in every Care Package sent to Military and First Responders. In these…

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Participate in the Project >> Getting Started

Sample Interview Questions For Veterans

Here are questions to use when interviewing veterans who served in the United States armed forces during World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars.

A separate set of questions is available elsewhere for use when interviewing civilians (see also Sample Interview Questions for Civilians).

Tips for a Successful Interview

Every interview should contain several segments. Dividing an interview into segments allows for gathering important details while nurturing memory. In the case of the Veterans History Project, we are hoping to capture recollections of life experiences and of the most memorable moments in wartime. We also hope these interviews will shed light on how the veteran's service influenced his or her postwar life.

It is important to let the veteran tell his or her own story. The questions below were developed to provide general guidance only, so don't feel obliged to ask all the questions we are suggesting or to limit yourself to these questions.

Have the veteran complete the Biographical Data Form in advance of the interview. You will notice that some of the questions may not apply to the person you are interviewing. To avoid asking those questions, review theBiographical Data Form before the interview. It will help you ask the most relevant questions.

Feel free to share a few general questions with the participant beforehand. Often interviewees are more comfortable if they know what kinds of questions you might ask.

Pr epare yourself for the interview by reading about the war(s) the veteran served in and by reviewing maps and atlases. Please refer to the bibliographies and research tips elsewhere in this Project Kit or ask a local librarian for help in identifying appropriate books, articles, and other resources.

See the Interviewing and Recording Guidelines for additional tips.

Segment 1: For the Record:

Make an introductory announcement at the start of each audio or video recording. Record on tape the date and place of the interview; the name of the person being interviewed; his or her birth date and current address; and the names of the people attending the interview, including the interviewer and his or her institutional affiliation or relationship to the interviewee and the name of the camera or recording operator if different than the interviewer. Ask the veteran what war(s) and branch of service he or she served in, what was his or her rank, and where he or she served.

Segment 2: Jogging Memory:

Were you drafted or did you enlist?
Where were you living at the time?
Why did you join?
Why did you pick the service branch you joined?
Do you recall your first days in service?
What did it feel like?
Tell me about your boot camp/training experience(s).
Do you remember your instructors?
How did you get through it?

Segment 3: Experiences:

Which war(s) did you serve in (WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf)?
Where exactly did you go?
Do you remember arriving and what it was like?
What was your job/assignment?
Did you see combat?
Were there many casualties in your unit?
Tell me about a couple of your most memorable experiences.
Were you a prisoner of war?
Tell me about your experiences in captivity and when freed.
Were you awarded any medals or citations?
How did you get them?
Higher ranks may be asked about battle planning. Those who sustained injuries may be asked about the circumstances.

Segment 4: Life:

Ask questions about life in the service and/or at the front or under fire.

How did you stay in touch with your family?
What was the food like?
Did you have plenty of supplies?
Did you feel pressure or stress?
Was there something special you did for "good luck"?
How did people entertain themselves?
Were there entertainers?
What did you do when on leave?
Where did you travel while in the service?
Do you recall any particularly humorous or unusual event?
What were some of the pranks that you or others would pull?
Do you have photographs?
Who are the people in the photographs?
What did you think of officers or fellow soldiers?
Did you keep a personal diary?

Segment 5: After Service:

Appropriateness of questions will vary if the veteran had a military career.

Do you recall the day your service ended?
Where were you?
What did you do in the days and weeks afterward?
Did you work or go back to school?
Was your education supported by the G.I. Bill?
Did you make any close friendships while in the service?
Did you continue any of those relationships?
For how long?
Did you join a veterans organization?

Segment 6: Later Years and Closing:

What did you go on to do as a career after the war?
Did your military experience influence your thinking about war or about the military in general?
If in a veterans organization, what kinds of activities does your post or association have?
Do you attend reunions?
How did your service and experiences affect your life?
Is there anything you would like to add that we have not covered in this interview?

Thank the veteran for sharing his or her recollections.

Please be sure that the veteran, interviewer, and photographer (if any) sign the appropriate release forms found in the Project Kit.

Acknowledgments

The questions above were developed by the Veterans History Project team working in consultation with the American Folklife Center and the Oral History Association. Special acknowledgment is extended to Donald A. Ritchie, associate historian, United States Senate, and author of Doing Oral History (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995).

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Sample Interview Questions For Veterans - Project Kit (Veterans History Project, Library of Congess)

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Participate in the Project >> Getting Started Here are questions to use when interviewing veterans who served in the United States armed forces during World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars. A separate set of questions is available elsewhere for use when interviewing civilians (see also Sample Interview Questions for Civilians).

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As a Vietnam vet, I find it easier to share war stories with fellow vets than with non-vets.

But there's a lot more to military life than the worst of the worst. And since only a small fraction of veterans ever see actual combat, there are lots of fascinating stories to be told about other aspects of military life.

In fact, most veterans would be happy to share their military stories about coming of age, buddies for life, humorous situations, exotic cultures, travels, and more.

All they need (and want) is for someone to ask. Problem is, most people don't know how.

So, I've complied a list of 10 questions that can 'start the conversation' with any veteran. Trust me, you won't be asking, "Did you kill anyone?"

These are questions that elicit stories you'll want to hear and veterans will be happy to share. Once the stories begin to flow, your veteran will be grateful you took the time, and might want to share many more stories.

To my fellow veterans, you are always in my heart and mind. I encourage you to share your stories because they can enrich your family in so many ways. For me, I find this to be very cathartic, and I believe it will be the same for you.

For veteran families and others, please follow these steps:

1. Ask your veteran if he or she wouldn't mind having a brief chat about their military service

2. Find a quiet space with a 'low risk' of any interruptions (or just make a call)

3. Share your questions with the veteran before asking (no potential surprises)

4. Ask the 10 questions below in the order in which they appear. (one builds upon the next)

5. Ask follow up questions (just as you would when sharing stories with anyone else)

This dialog can be enormously beneficial, even therapeutic, for your veteran. You may become that special person your veteran trusts enough to 'continue the conversation' in more depth. What a gift!

1. What motivated you to join the military?

2. Tell me a little about your time in bootcamp.

3. What was (is) your primary job after training (MOS)?

4. Where did you serve the majority of time in service?

5. What rank are you most proud to have earned, and why?

6. Which medals or citations are you most honored to have received, and why?

7. Tell me about some of the special people you met.

8. What was the best and worst 'military' food you were served, and why?

9. Tell me a funny story you experienced that could only happen in the military.

10. How did (does) your military experience affect your life today?

If your veteran feels up to it, I highly recommend recording the stories (preferably in audio). This will not only capture the veteran's stories in his or her unique voice, personality and dialect, but you can always transcribe the audio into the written word. Although video is a powerful medium, without experienced preparation, many people become too self-conscious of their appearance or other distractions.

Ask your veteran if there are any photos he or she would like to share. Many veterans don't know how to tell their stories. But reminiscing with photos can often elicit a flow of conversation that can easily be recorded.

Give the recordings to the vet, or help make them available online or in a physical form of some kind. Either way, you'll be giving your veteran a chance to see the affect these stories have on people today, while leaving a legacy for future generations tomorrow.

For recording in audio, I recommend trying our free mobile app because it takes a picture of the veteran, or one of the pictures, then records the story to marry the two together online.

For writing the story, I highly encourage you to log in or create your free account in this website. Not only can you begin building your own story portfolio, but you can help your veteran establish his or hers too. This way, the stories can be kept private or discriminately shared.

Continue the conversation by choosing from 200+ questions and more with the Legacy Stories Handbook. The moment a word is entered into the handbook, it becomes one of the most important family documents.

If you want to help more veterans tell their story, perhaps you could share this article with others. For that, I would be forever grateful.

Tom Cormier, Co-founder
Legacy Stories

Here are the links to help you get started!

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10 Questions a Veteran Would Be Happy to Answer

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As a Vietnam vet, I find it easier to share war stories with fellow vets than with non-vets. But there's a lot more to military life than the worst of the worst. And since only a small fraction of veterans ever see actual combat, there are lots of fascinating stories to be told about other aspects of military life.

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Veteran's Share Their Honor Flight Experiences 

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Veteran's Share Their Honor Flight Experiences 

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Operation Education Veteran Interview Project Introduction

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#BNStorytime: SINCERELY, EMERSON A Girl, Her Letter, and the Helpers All Around Us

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