Preserving Veterans' Stories

I want to talk about all the programs that exist here in Florida, working to make sure those stories aren't lost to history. So to do just that, I want to welcome into the conversation live Julian Duncan, program manager for the Major John Leroy Haynes Florida Veterans History Program, quite a title. Mr. Duncan, thank you so much for joining us. Happy Veterans Day. How are you today? Hey, good morning. I'm doing great. Thank you for having me. Absolutely, because you know what? I feel like we look at all these events taking place across the Bay Area nationwide, and it truly just puts into perspective how important it is to preserve these stories. So first off, as we recognize Veterans Day today, why is it so important, Mr. Duncan, that we listen to these stories, share these photos, and keep these stories alive? Yeah, absolutely, I'm gonna take two directions with that answer, to answer that. The first is, Florida's home to almost 1.4 million veterans. Wow. We're one of the most populated states in terms of the density of veterans population in the country. And so I think it's really important as the public and as citizens in Florida to really try to understand the veteran community and the experiences that they've had. What makes veterans who they are as Floridians. The second thing I would say is I can't tell you how many times I've done an interview with a veteran and we sit down and we talk for an hour, an extended period of time. And their family tells me afterward, there's so many stories he said or she said that I didn't know, I'd never heard my whole life growing up with them. And I just think that's really cool. And so being able to preserve those recordings and send them to the state archives and then make them accessible to the public, that's really our mission. And Julian, maybe you can speak to this, and forgive me if I sound crazy and I'm just mentioning personal experience, but my grandfather, who has now passed, as he got older, he started to lose his memory and started to lose certain memories that we've had as a family, but he always remembered his stories of serving in the Navy. It's like it's ingrained in them, right? Yeah, it's amazing how that happens. And the clarity of... Memories that maybe go back to even World War II as far back as the 1940s, that clarity is there and it's really quite amazing. So yeah, I appreciate that personal example from you. And these are actually personal photos that our viewers are sending us, Julian. So really adds to the conversation here. When we think about veterans, we often think about their service and sacrifice. But what are some of the personal experiences, stories that you think people don't hear enough Hmm. Yeah, that's a that's a fantastic question. You know, I've come to think about this kind of history over the past year and a half or so of doing this program. I've come to think of it as kind of a mosaic. And what I mean by that is sometimes you might hear about the same large event, whether that's Pearl Harbor or more recently, some of the events that have gone on around the global war on terror, all of these like huge events that we hear about, but then you hear an individual story. The one that comes to mind for me is a World War II veteran named Arnold Yazell that I interviewed in Daytona a couple of months ago. And he talked about being a kid and he heard about Pearl Harbor and he had to go to the library To look up where Hawaii was, and he said, well, I don't think it'll have a big effect on me. It's so far away. And then he said, but then it did have a big effect on me. And. So I guess if that answers your question kind of a roundabout way, that's how I tend to think of it. No, definitely. And you know what? Everybody is gonna have a different story and I feel like it depends on the day. Sometimes I feel like the veterans I've spoken to have gone really into detail. Other times it's a little more difficult and they only share so much and that's so okay. I want to talk to you about the John Leroy Haynes Florida Veterans History Program. What is the mission and really how does it work to preserve stories just like we're talking about? Yeah, so the Major John Leroy Haynes Florida Veterans History Program is a state initiative. We are run through the Department of State's Division of Arts and Culture, and our mission is to collect and preserve and then to share, make publicly accessible the stories and the memories of Florida veterans. So that's our primary job, documenting veterans' personal narratives and ensuring that those firsthand experiences are accessible to the public as well as to future generations. Julian, you are also hosting a workshop called Legacy Through Stories, Histories from Florida Veterans on November 13th at the Straz Center right here in our area. What can people expect if they attend? Yeah, absolutely. We're going to have, of course, food and music, and that's really important at the Straz Center for Performing Arts. But also, we're going to have panels and talks throughout the day really focused on both oral history, what is oral history, and how people can participate in it and even learn how to do it, because so many of us have veterans in our families that we can sit down and talk to. But then also veterans' wellness, community engagement, And then kind of networking. time for the end of the day. I love that. How can people attend? Yeah, so probably the easiest way would be to go to Facebook and type in Florida Veterans History, and you'll find the Major John Leroy Haynes Veterans History Program page. And then there's an event right there with a registration link. And the registration is free. It's open to the public. But that event does help us, or that registration link does help us get a head count. You can also email me, flveteranshistory at dos.fl.gov. And I'd be happy to schedule an interview or just provide more information on the program and the events on Friday. I love that. You know, Julian, for veterans who are watching us right now who may be thinking, I have a story, but I'm not sure anyone would wanna hear it. What would you say to them? I get that so often. People say, Oh, I didn't really do anything, I just did my job. And I love hearing that because that's really That's what it is. You just do your job. Everybody does their part and the mission gets accomplished. And so absolutely some of the best interviews I have ever had are people who say, oh, I don't really have the story. So just think about that. Definitely. Every story is important. And as you mentioned earlier, I could listen to them forever. I actually was on a warship. Not too long ago, but probably about a year ago at this point. And I sat down, I was with a World War II veteran. They had to basically pry me out of the seat because we had just been talking. I've been listening to him for like 45 minutes and they were like, Regina, respectfully, he will go all day. Okay. So. But that's why it's so important. I love hearing about it. I know everybody does too. Julian Duncan, thank you so much for joining our coverage and we'd love to talk to you again soon. Thank you so much for having me. Absolutely.