In their own words.
Voices of Liberty 250 records and preserves the first-hand stories of America's veterans, active-duty service members and military families — so those who serve, and those who stand beside them, can tell their history in their own words.
The first stories are being recorded now.
Veterans, active-duty service members and military families are all welcome. Record a story at home, or join us at an in-person recording event.
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See all storiesEvery story of service is worth keeping.
Record your story at home with a phone, or come to one of our in-person recording events. Family members are welcome to help.
Stories of service
Search by name, place or topic, or narrow the collection by era and branch of service.
Stories are coming soon
The first stories are being recorded now. Have a story of service to share?
Share your story, in your own words.
There are two ways to take part:
- Veterans of any era or branch
- Active-duty, Guard and Reserve service members
- Military families — spouses, children, parents and siblings, including families sharing the story of a loved one who has passed
We review every recording before it's published and check with you first. You can ask us to remove your story at any time.
How to record
You don't need special equipment — a phone is enough. Record yourself, or have a family member help by asking the questions.
- Find a quiet room with good light — facing a window works well. Turn off the TV and radio.
- Set your phone on a stand or lean it against something steady, turned sideways, about an arm's length away.
- Start by saying your name, branch of service, the years you served and today's date.
- Take your time. Anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour is fine, and it's okay to record in several parts.
- Audio only is fine too if you'd rather not be on camera — use your phone's voice recorder.
- Record video in 1080p (HD), not 4K. The file is much smaller and easier to upload. On iPhone: Settings → Camera → Record Video.
What to talk about
Choose one or more. There are no wrong answers.
- How has your — or your loved one's — service changed or affected your perspective on freedom and liberty?
- What would you want people in the future to know about your or your loved one's service?
- Or share a story of your choosing.
Family members: speak from your own memories — what service meant for your family, or the story of a loved one in your own words.
Guidelines for your story
These keep the archive welcoming for every visitor, including students and families.
- Keep language clean. Please avoid profanity where you can. If a strong word slips out, that's okay — we may bleep or trim it.
- Stay politically neutral. Share what service, freedom and liberty mean to you, but please leave out support for or criticism of political parties, candidates or current officials.
- Be kind to others. No hateful language, and please don't accuse or share private details about other people by name.
- Protect your privacy. Leave out your home address, phone number, and Social Security or service numbers.
- Active duty: share only what is publicly releasable — nothing about current operations, locations or schedules.
We review every story before it's published and may make small edits for length, language or privacy — never to change your meaning. We'll check with you before anything goes live.
Send us your recording
Recording events
We host in-person events where veterans, service members and military families can come and record their story with us. The questions above are a good way to prepare.
Questions? Contact us
History, told by the people who lived it.
Voices of Liberty 250 collects first-hand stories of military service from veterans, active-duty service members and military families, marking the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026.
Every story is preserved in full, with a transcript, and made freely available to families, classrooms and researchers.
How it works
Record
Record a story at home with a phone using our simple guide, or at one of our in-person recording events.
Review
We review every recording and check with the storyteller before anything is published.
Preserve
The story joins the public archive, searchable by era, branch and place, and free to access.
Our commitments
Consent first. Storytellers decide what is shared and can withdraw at any time.
In their words. We don't change the meaning of a story or add commentary.
Free and open. The archive is free for anyone to listen, read and learn.
Share your story
Have a story to share, or a question about the project? We'd be glad to hear from you.