StoryCorps' 2024 Military Voices Tour to Record and Preserve the Stories of Veterans, Active Duty Service Members, and Military Families

February 22, 2024 – StoryCorps—the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all, one story at a time—today announces its 2024 Military Voices Initiative (MVI) tour, which honors veterans and members of the military community by gathering and preserving their stories. StoryCorps’ MVI works in partnership with veteran service organizations across the country, and is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

Active service members, veterans, and their loved ones are all encouraged to record conversations for free with a trained StoryCorps facilitator as part of this year’s MVI tour, which includes stops in Philadelphia, Tucson, and Hampton Roads metro areas. Virtual recording options will also be available throughout these three states.

Millions of Americans have worked in the armed forces, and the military community knows well the pride and honor of service, as well as its unique challenges. Yet few civilians have had an opportunity to hear from service members directly about their experience. MVI illuminates these experiences and contributes to StoryCorps’ free archive by recording and preserving the stories of veterans of all wars, service members, and military families—in their own words. Since its launch in 2013, the initiative has collected more than 3,300 interviews with current and former service members from all over the country.

"The annual Military Voices Initiative tour reflects StoryCorps' ongoing commitment to recording and preserving the stories of service members and their loved ones, stories we rarely see in media," said StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark, also the daughter of a career soldier. "Military service is unique, an honor and an enormous sacrifice. Stories told in the voices of those who live it are a gift and help Americans fully appreciate those who have raised their hands to serve all of us.”

“These stories of leadership and sacrifice remind us of what it takes to protect and preserve democracy and our daily freedoms,” said Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. “CPB is committed to supporting StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative, which will ensure that the powerful stories of those who have served our country will be accessible to future generations.”

Recordings from MVI, like all StoryCorps interviews, are preserved for posterity in StoryCorps’ online archive, where most are accessible to the public, and at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

2024 MVI Tour Schedule

• Pennsylvania // Lunch & Learn: March 26 // In-Person Recordings: April 24 - 27 // Virtual Recordings: July 15 - 19
• Arizona // Lunch & Learn: April 25, 2024 // In-Person Recordings: May 28 - 31 (Sierra Vista), May 29 - June 1 (Tucson) // Virtual Recordings: July 24 - 27
• Virginia // Lunch & Learn: May 15 (Norfolk), May 17 (Williamsburg) // In-Person Recordings: June 3- June 6 (Norfolk), July 10 - July 13 (Williamsburg) // Virtual Recordings: July 29 - August 1

Reservations can be made online at storycorps.org/military-voices. StoryCorps has partnered with Philadelphia’s WHYY, Arizona Public Media, and Hampton Roads’ WHRO in each respective tour stop. The stations and StoryCorps will create special programs such as virtual and local listening events that give civilians opportunities to engage with veterans and service members in their communities. With participant permission, these stations will air a selection of the MVI interviews recorded in their state. StoryCorps and its partners will also kick off each stop with a “Lunch & Learn” session to give community members and potential participants an opportunity to learn more about the Initiative.

Additionally, StoryCorps may share edited versions of interviews collected throughout the tour via its podcast, animated shorts, NPR broadcasts, and other digital platforms.

For two decades, StoryCorps has fostered an environment of comfort and intimacy for its interviews, with a trained facilitator guiding participants throughout the process. For those who choose to record virtually, the interview process and experience will be conducted via StoryCorps Virtual, a browser-based platform that allows both participants to see and hear one another during their conversation, which is guided remotely by a facilitator. A few short weeks after the free, 40-minute recording session, participants receive an email with a link to StoryCorps' Archive and their interview. A second copy is archived at the Library of Congress with the participant’s permission.

Special thanks to the dedicated and trusted Dignity Memorial® providers for their sponsorship of the Military Voices Initiative broadcast on NPR in 2024.

About StoryCorps
Founded in 2003, StoryCorps is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all, one story at a time. The organization has given over 655,000 people, in all 50 states, the chance to record interviews about their lives. StoryCorps helps people believe in each other by illuminating the possibility and humanity in all of us—one story at a time. The award-winning organization preserves the recordings in its archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered, and shares select stories with the public through StoryCorps’ podcast, radio broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books. These powerful human stories reflect the vast range of American experiences, engender empathy and connection, and remind us how much more we have in common than what divides us. StoryCorps is especially committed to capturing and amplifying voices least heard in the media. The StoryCorps MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer that has been transformed into a traveling recording booth, crisscrosses the country year-round gathering the stories of people nationwide. 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of StoryCorps. Learn more at StoryCorps.org.

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit cpb.org, follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn and subscribe for email updates.