Lake County to collect veterans' stories

Veterans and civilians who supported war efforts from World War II to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are being invited to share their stories this Veterans Day.

The (Waukegan) News-Sun reported that the Veterans History Project will collect oral histories at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Nov. 11.

The interviews will be transcribed and archived at the Library of Congress.

People also may donate photographs, diaries and letters to the Library of Congress.

Lake County also participated in the program in 2012 and 2013.

Chief Judge John Philips, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, is organizing the effort.

"War veterans are often hesitant to talk about their own experiences because of a sense of humility, but they are often the last witnesses to the sacrifice and bravery of others who did not survive the war or have since passed," Phillips said. "The events they witnessed firsthand and their memories of their comrades in arms need to be preserved."