Southeast, VFW post to preserve veterans' histories

Special Collections and Archives in Southeast Missouri State University's Kent Library, in partnership with the Cape Girardeau VFW Post No. 3838, will host a special event on Veterans Day to help local veterans preserve their service-related history.

Preserving Local Veterans' History will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at VFW Post NO. 3838, 1049 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. The event is free and open to all area veterans.

Veterans are invited to visit with Southeast Missouri State University historians and archivists about the best way to preserve their service-related documents and memorabilia, such as discharge documents, uniforms, letters to and from home, photographs and local souvenirs collected while abroad.

A digital scanner and Southeast staff will be on hand to digitize military records and documents for veterans. Portable USB flash drives will be provided at no cost for saving scanned documents. An oral history station also will be available so veterans can talk about their military service experiences. With veterans' permission, their oral histories can also be preserved in Special Collections and Archives and made accessible to families, students and researchers.

"Special Collections & Archives continues to strengthen our southeast Missouri military service collections, documenting the sacrifices veterans and their families have made and the stories they have to tell," said Roxanne Dunn, director of Special Collections & Archives. "We are very excited to offer our service to our area veterans to help them document this important part of their lives."

The event also serves as an experiential learning opportunity for Southeast students studying historic preservation, she said, as they learn about creating educational materials and preserving them for veterans. Students will be available during the event to assist veterans with questions about their materials.

Dunn said Southeast's Special Collections and Archives is pleased to offer this outreach event to extend its mission this upcoming Veterans Day as it continues to acquire, preserve and make accessible materials that document the historical, literary and cultural experiences of southeast Missouri and University history.