Tell me a story!" How many times when you were a child did those words fall from your lips? And what were you looking for? You wanted swashbuckling pirates, or the prince and the princess, or the battle at the bridge. In short, you wanted something really good! As we honor our Veterans on November 11, one of the best ways we can pay tribute to them is to say, "Tell me a story!" Many veterans who have passed on have also passed on their stories in printed or oral format. Learn more about that this week, and also how to preserve your own memories -- oral and material. See you soon! Ed and Mary Longanecker Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company A nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it. -- Sir Winston Churchill Preserve Our History coupon! We've all heard of brides having their wedding gowns preserved -- but preservation of historic or sentimental garments and other items is not just for brides. We can help you preserve a military uniform or other historic garment in acid-free, specialty packaging so you can pass it down with your oral history. Have a garment professionally preserved, and take $10 off the total cost with this coupon. (Include first page of this e-mail with your order. Offer expires November 30, 2004. Cannot be combined with other offers.) Oral History -- It's as old as we are! There has been Oral History as long as there have been people and words.  We have an inate desire to tell, to pass on, to describe.  We want other people to see what we've seen, experience what we've been through, and so we tell stories -- the basis of all oral history. November 11 is Veteran's Day, and our veterans -- no matter what war they survived -- have a rich tradition of oral history that we've only begun to appreciate. According to the Veterans History Project, there are 19 million war veterans (all wars) in the US right now.  However, 1,500 of them die each day, and their memories often slip away with them. What is an Oral History? Actually, it's a bit more involved than an average story. Taking an oral history involves a historian (professional or amateur)to direct the discussion and the subject -- the person with the story to relate. The interview is captured on audio or video tape and incorporated into history lessons, museum displays, or kept in a library of similar oral histories for public enjoyment, enrichment and education. Why make oral histories? Suppose someone asked, "What was the Korean War like?" Historical reply: The Korean war lasted from 1950-53. At the time it occurred, there were 5,720,000 military personnel in the various branches of the service worldwide. 33,686 US soldiers died in Korea, and an additional 103,284 were wounded. (source: Dept. of Veterans Affairs.) Oral history reply: "On that night, as I went on guard duty, the temperature was three degrees Fahrenheit. My post was to guard our motor pool and part of our sleeping area. I knew my job, but this was my first time under fire. Even as I slipped off the heavy mitten on my right hand, I could feel the fear ball up in my stomach and rise into my throat. But then, as I dropped onto my belly on the cold snow, a certain calmness came to me. Thinking back to that moment, I still find it strange that terror and calmness could lie so close to each other within my heart...." (read more of this excerpt from the book I Remember Korea, Veterans tell their stories of the Korean War.) Oral history strips away the statistics and cold facts and takes us to the thick of the experience through the memories of those who were there. Most things that happen in life will only occur one time -- our only access to them is to be there, or hear from someone who was. This is the value and the task of oral historians, to capture those memories and preserve them so we can all hear and learn from them. Oral histories don't replace the "regular" history -- the dates, names, places, actions. They supplement it, and make it personal. Neither form of history is truly complete without the other. To study only formal history is to miss the human element; to study only oral history is to be limited to the view of a few single individuals who normally will not have a good overview of the entire situation and its historical importance. Our veterans have made a sacrifice that can only be appreciated by studying both the history books and the oral/written histories from individual viewpoints. Their efforts have made it possible for us to live as we do today, and to be free to look back at a history that is open to examination. They deserve our respect and awe for what they achieved, and there is no greater tribute than to simply sit and listen as they tell what they experienced on our behalf. Oral histories don't have to be about soldiers and military operations, of course. Every family has its own oral histories. Communities collect the remembrances of older residents regarding their founding and growth. There are oral history projects devoted to collecting stories related to particular decades, years or events. You have stories to tell, too! The links below will take you to many sites that can help youget involved as a historian or an interviewee. Why not click on a few and learn more? Find out more about oral history -- and take part in it! Veterans History Project -- a government-funded effort to capture veteran stories (all wars) and preserve them. Site includes links to source with oral histories regarding: American POWs, personal reminiscences from World War I, WW II, Korean War, Viet Nam War, Persian Gulf War (various branches of the service, as well as civilian stories included.) Oral History Techniques and Procedures -- by Stephen E. Everett. This site has a 44-page book that can be printed out, which gives specific techniques for eliciting oral histories from individuals. Specifically aimed at military stories, the tips are nevertheless important in any oral history project. Online Oral History How-to Course -- the AARP is very interested in oral histories, and has an online course you can take that will give instruction in how to select subjects for oral history interviews, how to conduct the interviews, how to establish their provenance, and more. Oral History Association -- An organization devoted to educating would-be oral historians, preserving memories and linking like-minded people in projects. Oral History Online -- a site that includes a list of "exemplary oral history sites", guidelines for collecting oral histories, and help in evaluating oral histories. (Exemplary sites include histories on American life, notable artists' interviews, slave narratives, civil rights movement memories, women's oral histories, soldier histories, and more.) We are enormously appreciative of the opportunity to share our weekly newsletters with you.  We feel that much of the content is valuable for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is interested in their preservations and cleaning. Click on the symbol to the right if your would like to send this and future newsletters to a friend. Thanks a million, Ed and Mary  The Iris City Cleaners Connection is a weekly news letter dedicated to the interest of fine garment care, cleaning, restoration, and conservation. It is published in Mt Pleasant, Iowa by Iris City Cleaners and is an extension of our services described in www.iriscitycleaners.com        Info@iriscitycleaners.com 211 W Washington St. Mount Pleasant, IA 52641-2147 phone: (319) 385-9707 Privacy Policy/Terms of Service Copyright 2000-2005 by Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company.. You must obtain written permission to use any content on this page.