The Wisconsin Veterans Museum considers each story of its Wisconsin-connected veterans to be important and is eager to see these stories told and preserved through its Wisconsin Veterans Oral History Collection.

Program Goals

• Preserve the veteran’s story, in his or her own words, as a service of the veteran, family, and descendants.
• Accumulate historical materials for purposes of research, teaching, program, and exhibit
• Complement the museum’s manuscript, artifact, and library collections.
• Put a human, individual face to our understanding of war.

Collection History
The Wisconsin Veterans Oral History Collection began in June 1994 with an interview of a single World War II D-Day veteran. About 200 interviews were conducted by Dr. Mark Van Ells, the museum’s first archivist and program creator. From 1999 to 2002, volunteer James McIntosh, M.D., conducted more than 230 interviews. In 2002, the program was expanded to include packets for training [8.1.3] interviewers, workshops, and individualized instruction designed to expand and educate the volunteer force of museum oral history interviewers.

Adult volunteers, who are usually veterans themselves, are trained to conduct the interviews.

• Please Tell Your Story
• Become an Oral History Interviewer
• Partner With Our Oral History Program
• Download the Oral History Interview Request Form [PDF]

Additional Information: Contact the Oral History Archivist