On Saturday, November 8, CC Reporting & Videoconferencing will be one of several court reporting firms throughout the state that will open their doors to veterans who want to tell their story. The stories that are collected will be submitted to the Library of Congress through the Oregon Veterans History Project, a collaboration of the Oregon Court Reporters Association and the Oregon State Bar’s Military and Veterans Law Section. The videotaped interviews and the transcripts will also be submitted to the Oregon Military Museum.
In addition to audio- and video-recorded interviews, the Veterans History Project accepts memoirs and collections of original photographs, letters, diaries, maps, and other historical documents from World War I through current conflicts.
In appreciation for their service and for taking the time to share their experiences, the veterans will receive a copy of the transcript of their interview, a copy of the video synchronized with the transcript, a digital video file, and copies of all photographs and documents submitted to the project.
To date the project has collected 11 oral histories of Oregon veterans, including Oregon State Bar member Former Chief Justice Paul J. De Muniz, Larry Brisbee, William Albert Bailey, and Ernest Bonyhadi. Three interviews are scheduled on November 8 in Eugene, and more are scheduled in Portland, Bend, Salem, and Medford.
Mark Ronning, Chair of OSB’s Military and Veterans Law Section, is encouraging OSB members to volunteer to either interview a veteran or, if they are a veteran themselves, to give their oral history. “Oregon has over 300,000 veterans. As time goes on, more and more veterans pass away and their stories are lost,” said Mr. Ronning.
“Participating in this project has given me the opportunity to explore my own father’s service in the Navy. He died when I was in high school, but I found some photographs documenting his trip through the Panama Canal on a submarine in 1945 following Japan’s surrender,” said Robin Cassidy-Duran, who will be serving as videographer at the November 8 event. “I wish he had had the opportunity to have his story recorded so we could share it with his great grandchildren.”
Robin Nodland, past president of OCRA, will continue to coordinate court reporters’ and videographers’ support for the Veterans History Project. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our members to give back to both the legal community and the veterans who have served our country,” said Ms. Nodland.
If you are a veteran and you would like to tell your story, please contact Gretchen Magarro at 503-299-6200. Interviews typically last an hour to an hour and a half.