Maine Historical Society & Southern Maine Veterans Administration Clinic of Saco launch initiative to capture the stories of Maine's Vietnam Veterans
November 11, 2015
PORTLAND, Maine (November 11, 2015) — Maine Historical Society (MHS), in collaboration with the Veterans Administration Healthcare System and the Southern Maine VA clinic in Saco, is launching a pilot program designed to capture the stories of Maine veterans of the Vietnam War.
MHS seeks interested veterans who are willing to share their stories, in written format or through conversations, as well as illustrate their stories with images, objects or visual materials. Selected stories will appear on Maine Memory Network (www.mainememory.net) as part of a larger My Maine Stories component. Participation does not require the donation of illustrative materials, but participants should be aware their stories, and imagery, will be made available to the public.
MHS and the Maine VA hope to document the history of Maine in the Vietnam era through personal veteran experiences before, during and after the war itself. Throughout 2016, Maine Historical Society will engage in a number of community-based programs, as well as establishing individual connections to lay the ground work for the My Maine Stories component of Maine Memory Network.
This initiative is part of a pilot program for a component of the innovative digital history platform Maine Memory Network, entitled My Maine Stories. My Maine Stories, sponsored through a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Library and Museum Services, is designed to provide a platform for individuals to share their personal stories as they relate, capture, and document the history of Maine and its people.
Individuals interested in participating in the Maine Vietnam Veterans My Maine Stories Project should contact Maine Historical Society at mainestories@mainememory.net. Field work to collect and document the stories will commence at the start of 2016.
For more information:
Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
207-774-1822; mainestories@mainememory.net
www.mainehistory.org / www.mainememory.net
This program is funded under a grant from the Institute of Library and Museum Services. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this press release do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Library and Museum Services.
About Maine Historical Society A growing museum, incomparable library and statewide educational resource, we are located in the heart of Portland’s downtown cultural district. Founded in 1822, the Maine Historical Society is the third oldest state historical society in the United States. MHS strives to serve the entire state through its education and outreach programs and through the digital museum, the Maine Memory Network. MHS is comprised of the Wadsworth–Longfellow House and Longfellow Garden, the Maine Historical Society Museum and Store, the MHS Research Library and the Maine Memory Network. www.mainehistory.org
For more information:
Maine Historical Society489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
207–774–1822
www.mainehistory.org
www.mainememory.net
Maine Historical Society preserves and shares Maine's story to enrich life in contemporary Maine.
