The Legacy Project is a national, volunteer initiative that works to honor and remember those who have served this nation in wartime by seeking out and preserving their letters. We are looking for letters from all of our nation’s wars and on any subject matter, including descriptions of combat, expressions of love, encounters with prominent military leaders, humorous anecdotes, eyewitness accounts of historic events, advice to younger family members back home, letters from the homefront, words of condolence, letters written to or in memory of fallen comrades, and, above all, any well-written letter that describes an incredible story or offers insight into the nature of war and its effect on those involved. We are especially interested in preserving letters by veterans of color and women, whose correspondences, we have discovered, are harder to find. Although we appreciate the generosity of those who have offered, we do not accept monetary donations. (Nor do we solicit or accept grants, government funds, or any other form of financial assistance.) This project is able to support itself thanks to the assistance of an unpaid staff, who donate both their time and the necessary financial resources to cover expenses.
If you would like to contribute a war letter (or letters) to the Legacy Project, please send a legible photocopy or typed transcript of the material to:
The Legacy Project Attn: Andrew Carroll PO Box 53250 Washington, D.C. 20009
We prefer that you do not send originals, unless you are planning to dispose of the material otherwise and/or do not want the originals returned. We are a very small, all-volunteer organization, and due to the overwhelming volume of mail we receive, it can take us several months and possibly longer to respond. We would be grateful if you would include your address and phone number so we can reach you.
For additional information on the Legacy Project, as well as free information on how to preserve old letters (regardless of the subject matter), links to additional organizations and institutions preserving letters and similar material, and many other war-, veteran-, and military-related resources, please visit our web site: www.warletters.com