Kansas Stories of the Vietnam War
HK offers up to $3,000 for communities to collect oral histories from Vietnam military veterans, refugees, and those on the homefront.
Application Deadline: October 23, 2023
Since its founding in 1972, Humanities Kansas has explored bold stories and big ideas in every corner of Kansas—ideas about what it means to be human, to be part of a democracy, and to strengthen our communities.
It has been 50 years since the American military withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973. Veterans came home to a changed nation. Refugees settled in areas across the state to build new lives in a strange land. On the homefront, Kansans worked to provide care and give meaning to a war that had divided the country.
To preserve the stories of this time period, HK invites Kansas communities to collect the oral histories of Kansans who experienced the Vietnam War, both at home and abroad.
Oral History Grants
Kansas Stories of the Vietnam War grants will fund up to $3,000 for organizations to collect and preserve the stories of Vietnam military veterans, refugees, and those on the homefront. HK will connect awarded organizations with an oral history expert and provide funds to purchase materials such as recording equipment and transcription services.
Additional funds are available for companion exhibits or other related projects that support the oral history project (up to $2,000).
What is oral history? Oral history is a method of collecting first-hand stories of past events through the voices of people who lived through them. Interviewers trained in asking questions guide the conversation. Preserving and interpreting the memories of people and communities helps future generations understand where we have been and provides context for our world today. Many oral histories today are voice-recorded or by video.
Kansas Stories of the Vietnam War grant funds can be used for:
- Oral history recording equipment
- Transcription of the recordings
- Staff and consultant time to work on the project
- Speaker for one public event
- Other items needed to document, preserve, and share the stories of Vietnam military veterans, refugees, and others who were impacted by the war.
Who Can Apply
- In-state nonprofits. 501c3 status is not required
- A Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov. This 12-digit alphanumeric ID is used to track federal funding. (You do not need a full SAM.gov registration for HK grants. Only the UEID number is required.) How do you get a UEID? Follow this Quick Start Guide.
- NOTE: Organizations with an open HK grant are not eligible. Universities and colleges are not eligible. (Not sure? Ask us!)
In 2018, to commemorate 50 years since the escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, Humanities Kansas launched a multidimensional, statewide oral history project in partnership with the Library of Congress. Through oral histories, and memoir, HK collected over 70 stories of Kansans as they share their experiences, both at home and abroad. At the end of the project, participating organizations submitted their collected stories from veterans to the Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project in Washington, DC.
Watch the video to hear the veteran’s stories to learn more about the 2018 Kansas Stories of the Vietnam War project.
For more information, contact Leslie VonHolten, Director of Grants & Outreach, at LVH@humanitieskansas.org. Email is the quickest method of communication. Follow up phone calls can be arranged.