COLUMBIA –People looking for ways to participate in Veterans Day activities need only look to a tape recorder or video camera – and the nearest war veteran. Or they can volunteer at many of the nation’s 153 VA medical centers to make tape recordings of veterans as they relate their wartime experiences.

It’s all part of the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center and the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center is joining in the effort.

The Veterans History Project collects and preserves the remembrances of American war veterans and civilian workers who supported them. These collections of first-hand accounts are archived in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for use by researchers and to serve as an inspiration for generations to come.

The recordings make accessible the remembrances of American wartime veterans from World War I through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. Approximately 65,000 individual stories comprise the collection of the Veterans History Project.

This year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will join with the Library of Congress to host a “Veterans History Countdown” on the VA Web site – www.va.gov – featuring the oral histories of veterans from every state and U.S. territory.

On this Veterans Day, the VA Web page will urge Americans to “Honor our Veterans. Record their Stories!” The display links to the library’s Veterans History Project Web site — www.loc.gov/vets — which provides background about the program, a guide for volunteers to follow in recording and submitting veterans’ oral histories, and accesses the project’s extensive digital archive.

“Many people want to show their support for veterans, but don’t know how; they can’t attend a parade or participate in a community celebration. But they can visit a relative who’s a veteran and record their stories,” Dorn VA’s director, Patricia O. Pittman said. “They can visit our hospital and volunteer to sit with veterans as they share their experiences. It’s important to capture their stories before they leave us,” she said.

According to VA data, more than 900 World War II veterans die each day.

Volunteer interviewers may request information at vohp@loc.gov or the toll-free message line at (888) 371-5848. Or contact the Dorn VA Medical Center’s Voluntary Service at (803) 695-6780; on the Web at http://www.volunteer. va.gov/.