Today, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) introduced legislation to expand the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project (VHP) and allow for the collection of information on the lives of the men and women in our nation’s military who are missing in action or have died as a result of their service.  

 “The Veterans History Project is designed to turn memories into history, to memorialize the lives of the heroes whose selfless sacrifice has contributed—and continues to contribute—to our collective understanding of who we are as a nation,” said Smith, who served as chairman of the House Veteran’s Affairs Committee and authored more than a dozen laws to expand the benefits and services provided to our nation’s veterans. “Yet one voice is missing from the archives: the servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice—they gave their lives for our freedom.” 

 In 2000, Congress created the Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress to collect and catalog the stories of American war veterans. The purpose of the project (which was established by Public Law 106-380) is: “to preserve the memories of this Nation's war veterans so that Americans of all current and future generations may hear directly from veterans and better appreciate the realities of war and the sacrifices made by those who served in uniform during wartime.”

    To date, the VHP has collected the records of over 99,000 veterans who have served in military engagements since World War I. The project now requires first hand narratives only, blocking the collection of information of veterans who did not return from the battlefields.

    The Gold Star Families Voices Act will allow the parents, spouses, siblings and children of fallen heroes to participate in the VHP and tell the stories of their loved ones—ensuring we record and remember the lives and sacrifices of all who have served.  

    Smith’s legislation is endorsed by American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. whose Legislative Chairman Becky Christmas stated: “Rep. Smith’s legislation gives our children a voice that they no longer have. The Gold Star Families Voices Act will ensure that the experiences and lives of all veterans, including our sons and daughters who fought and died for our country, are remembered, honored and preserved.”

    Judith Tapper, President of the New Jersey Gold Star Mothers and proud mother of PO1 (SEAL) David M. Tapper (KIA Afghanistan 8/20/03) stated: “The Gold Star Families Voices Act will certainly ensure the Gold Star Families of New Jersey that the statement we all hear ‘they will never be forgotten,’ will be solidified in the Library of Congress archives for generations to come and this act is worthy of our fallen loved ones stories to be told.”

    “The Gold Star Mothers are an inspiration; having lost their children in service to our nation, they continue to work for policies that better meet the needs of veterans. They have turned their grief into advocacy: working for veterans, for military families, and especially, for the memories of their children,” Smith concluded. 

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