NEWS

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A group of 15 Pines residents are helping the United States Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center with its Veterans History Project(VHP). Created in 2000 by the U.S. Congress, VHP seeks ‘to collect, preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of U.S. military veterans and Gold Star families so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand their service.’

The Pines VHP volunteer group is comprised of several teams, each of which includes an interviewer and notetaker. Several Davidson College students are helping as well, serving as interviewers and providing valuable technical support. “The Davidson College students’ participation is vital to our efforts,” says Margo Heyd, who organized The Pines’ effort. “They bring another generation into the conversation and discussion.”

After hearing about VHP from a friend, Margo initiated The Pines’ participation and asked others to help. Following a specialized training session provided by VHP on Zoom, The Pines’ teams met with several resident veterans in April and will continue to record more interviews throughout the spring and early summer. Two Pines staff members who are veterans will be interviewed as well.

In addition to serving as a notetaker, Margo coordinates the significant paperwork associated with the project. “Scheduling is also a challenge since several individuals must participate together to meet VHP specifications for a recording,” says Margo. Invitation letters were sent to Pines veterans, and all current and future residents were also contacted about the project. Three volunteer team members are veterans who will be interviewed.

Carlton Fulford, a retired United States Marine Corps General, has engaged 19 veterans who will share their stories. He offered to be the first to be interviewed to help clarify the sequencing and timing of the process. Dick and Betsy Brigden then interviewed Sam Maloney, who served in World War II as a pilot in the Air Force. “Sam spoke for two hours, and with his remarkable memory, shared valuable dates, names, and places,” notes Carlton, adding, “Each veteran has their own story of why they did what they did, and each is important. These stories need to be entered into the National Archive while these veterans can still share their perspectives. Future generations will benefit greatly.”

Davidson College President Emeritus John Kuykendall connected The Pines’ VHP team with Davidson College American History Professor John Wertheimer, who has loaned video equipment and recruited College students to participate. Davidson College sophomore, Abby Murphy, has been especially involved in interviewing and recording veterans. She is the point person who coordinates the student assignments for all interviews. Recently, Abby received a grant to continue to help The Pines’ team into the summer. “We couldn’t do this without her,” notes Margo. She also notes, “The Pines’ Activities Team has provided unlimited help in facilitating this project, especially Bill Burrow who stages the Living Room for each video session, creating a comfortable studio for our conversations!”

“We are pleased with how many residents have offered to volunteer for the Project as interviewers and note-takers,” says Carlton. “Everyone has been very collaborative, and these efforts will be a success due to their time and contributions.”

Margo reflects, “This has been an incredibly rewarding experience for every resident volunteer and hopefully, the veterans themselves. We appreciate their willingness to share their story and certainly thank them for their service.” Interviews are currently booked through mid-June, and the project managers hope the program will continue after the summer hiatus.

Motria Procyk, who works at The Pines at Davidson, has lived in Davidson for 25 years.