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Behind every military object is the story of a veteran's service, but so often stories of veterans' experiences and "the things they carried home" remain untold.  A KHC grant initiative hopes to change that. The Things They Carried Home preservation workshops in thirteen Kansas communities are helping veterans, their families, and their neighbors gain a better understanding of the military experience through preservation of military items. 

For veterans, their relatives, and curious citizens, the preservation workshops have proved both engaging and helpful. Audrey Coleman, senior archivist at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, explained, "In general, there is a big concern among attendees that they 'do the right thing'" with their materials, whether these are documents, journals, or photographs.

Preservation Consultant Audrey Coleman and veteran Dan Anderson at a
The Things They Carried Home workshop in Sabetha.
Photo courtesy of the Sabetha Herald.


The workshops and the artifacts shared have also opened to the door to broader discussions about military experiences across time and place.

Kim Turner of the Leavenworth Public Library observed, "Discussion of preservation led to discussion of objects and the stories behind them. Real life stories gave the wars a human face. Sacrifice we have heard about, but to hear it from those directly involved is humbling."

So far, nearly 100 Kansans have attended the workshops in Sabetha, Fort Scott, Lebo, Leavenworth, Lawrence, and Valley Center to learn how to preserve uniforms, medals, letters, photographs, emails, and other items from a preservation consultant.
 
The next The Things They Carried Home preservation workshop is scheduled for Thursday, June 18th at Abilene Public Library. For more information and additional workshops, visit KHC's Calendar of Events or contact Murl Riedel, director of grants.

The Things They Carried Home
preservation workshops are part of Standing Together, the National Endowment for the Humanities initiative to promote understanding of the military experience and to support returning veterans.