On Veterans Day, we want to call special attention to the resources we have for learning more about the men and women who have served our country in the military.    Hundreds of books found in Special Collections deal with veterans’ experiences and issues, ranging from state documents, such as the Louisiana Veterans Benefits & Directory of Services to a book of famed cartoonist Bill Mauldin’s work, Back Home, published in 1947.

Many of our manuscript collections include letters, diaries, and other records.  Two subject guides highlight materials pertaining to twentieth-century wars and the Civil War.

You can also hear the voices of veterans as they describe their experiences in more than 50 oral history interviews, gathered by the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History and deposited in Special Collections for preservation and access.  Six interviews with Joseph Emile Dupont Jr. are currently available online via the Louisiana Digital Library at http://tinyurl.com/2uzbre7.  Sadly, all state support has been withdrawn this year from the Williams Center, curtailing its efforts to record and make available the stories of more veterans.

Special Collections honors veterans every day by preserving the record of their service, achievements, and sacrifices.  We encourage you to use these resources to learn more about those who have served.