Time is running out for an important part of American history. As our World War II generation ages, their memories are fading with their bodies.

In 2000, the U.S. Congress voted unanimously to create the Veterans History Project. They realized it was urgent to preserve the memories of these and future veterans. Unknown to many on campus and the tri-state area, Northern Kentucky University is a part of this program.

NKU’s History Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta, has joined the Kentucky AARP in interviewing veterans for the Library of Congress. Students and community members have banded together to accomplish this goal. NKU is the only university in the area with this rare opportunity.

So why haven’t the local papers covered it? While the school paper only publishes once a week and is cramped for space, what is the excuse for the other papers?

Being a part of this project is a great honor for the university and for the area. You can bet that if the University of Cincinnati had this same opportunity it would have been in all of the “big” papers.

Searching through the archives, I found an article about the project from 2003 with a librarian and another story about a local musician. It is 2005 and NKU is now a part of this large project, get a reporter out here to speak with someone involved.

Dr. Jonathan Reynolds of the history department is in charge of the project at NKU. “I’ve been thrilled with how well the project has gone,” said Reynolds. “A number of the students have jumped into the process feet first. It was the students who brought me into this project.”

In particular, senior history major Liz Comer initiated the process.