November 4, 2004

Preserving a country’s legacy

Veteran’s Week pays homage to those who served

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

With the recent passage of a bill designating the week of Nov. 8–12 as Veteran’s Week in California, several events will honor those who have valiantly served their country.

While nearly 2,000 veterans—mostly from World War II—die every day, one organization remains determined to preserve their memories. What started humbly as the Digital Clubhouse Network, an after-school program that sought to bridge the digital divide by pairing tech-savvy teens with veterans and their stories, has over the years produced priceless digital accounts of courage, sacrifice, and service—historical legacies that would have otherwise been lost to a dying generation.

Last May, Vice Mayor Pat Dando, along with a delegation of Silicon Valley teens and veterans, attended the dedication ceremonies for the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., where the short digital movies were presented to the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution to become part of their national archives. U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren hosted the special event on Capitol Hill.

The digital undertaking is about to blossom into a national effort called “Stories of Service,” a project dedicated to rallying young people across the country to help interview veterans and use computers to create short, digital stories by combining the veteran’s own words with images and music. The program will be presented to Senator Bob Dole on Friday, Nov. 5 at the annual Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce Legends and Leaders dinner.

Public event
Following the downtown San Jose parade on Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11), the launch of a statewide campaign will be unveiled during the fifth annual Tribute to Service at the Park Side Auditorium from 3:30-5:30 p.m., and will feature the best of the past year’s stories, including firsthand accounts of the Nuremberg war crimes trial, the invasion of Okinawa, the Battle of the Bulge, and a courageous recount from the all Japanese battalion, the 442nd Go for Broke. Stories from the home front will also be presented, including one with Rosie the Riveter, among others.

Several of the movies will become part of an international exhibit that will open at the United Nations Plaza in the fall of 2005 to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII and the founding of the United Nations.

Hosted by Vice Mayor Pat Dando and Councilmember Chuck Reed, the public event will also pay tribute to 20 local youths, who will be presented with the Presidential Service Award by Congressional representatives Zoe Lofgren and Mike Honda for having contributed more than 250 volunteer hours to the Stories of Service project.

For more information on how to get teens involved in the effort to promote volunteerism and preserve veterans’ Stories of Service, call 559-355-7740 or visit www.stories-of-service.org. Additional information on the Digital Clubhouse Network, including two new facilities slated to open in downtown San Jose and the Computer History Museum can be found at www.digiclub.org.