New online exhibition from the Canadian War Museum centres on powerful stories of the veteran experience

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 30, 2024 /CNW/ - Explore the lasting impacts military service has had on veterans and their loved ones with a powerful new online oral history exhibition: In Their Own Voices: Stories From Canadian Veterans and Their Loved Ones. Through 50 compelling clips drawn from a collection of over 200 interviews, this virtual exhibition and online resource unveils often-overlooked narratives and offers personal reflections on how conflict has shaped the lives and legacies of individuals, communities, and Canada as a whole.

"In Their Own Voices highlights the continued impact of military service and the ways in which it can be profound, intimate and far-ranging," said James Whitham, Director General of the Canadian War Museum. "This online exhibition — and indeed the whole collection of interviews — will provide an important research and teaching tool for today and for future generations."

With its focus on life after service, this online resource provides a window into the "hidden history" of the veteran experience, and helps visitors connect to the stories through personal and revealing interviews. Sweeping through military service from the Second World War to the present day, these selected video and audio clips cover such conflicts as the Korean War and the war in Afghanistan, as well as other conflicts and peacekeeping missions. Audiences can search by conflict or military experience, or choose from 12 themes that explore topics like the transition to civilian life, nostalgia, remembrance, and reflections on kinship and identity. There are also options to explore specific perspectives or to experience the collection through curated playlists.

For educators, the digital module features a dedicated resources section designed to spark conversations and encourage deeper research in the classroom and at home. Resources include historical overviews, a student activity on how to analyze oral history interviews, and a teaching tool for facilitating conversations about difficult historical subjects. More resources will be added in the future, including objects-based learning tools, guidance on how to conduct your own oral history interviews, and additional historical overviews.

In Their Own Voices: Stories From Canadian Veterans and Their Loved Ones is generously funded by donors including the A. Britton Smith Family; the Azrieli Foundation; Arthur B.C. Drache, C.M., K.C., and Judy Young Drache; The Royal Canadian Legion; The Legion National Foundation; Friends of the Canadian War Museum; the Crabtree Foundation; Robert Stollery, in honour of his service in the Second World War; Colonel (Ret'd) Stanley A. Milner, O.C., A.O.E., M.S.M., C.D., LL.D.; and individuals from across Canada.

Explore the exhibition online at warmuseum.ca/in-their-own-voices.

The Canadian War Museum is Canada's national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada's military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions. Work of the Canadian War Museum is made possible in part through the financial support of the Government of Canada.

To request video clips, please contact Avra Gibbs Lamey at 613-791-0910 or [email protected].

For more information, visit warmuseum.ca. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

If you would like to have your name removed from our distribution list or if this information should be directed to someone else, please send an email to Avra Gibbs Lamey.

SOURCE Canadian War Museum

Media contacts: Avra Gibbs Lamey, Senior Communications and Media Relations Officer, Canadian War Museum, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]; Yasmine Mingay, Director, Public Affairs, Canadian War Museum, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]