Jenny Thompson

Veterans Day, once known as Armistice Day, is full of memories, symbolism, pride, and sadness.

When the First World War ended on November 11, 1918, it finished not with a bang, but with a whimper. A declaration not of peace, nor of victory, but a cessation of hostilities, the declaration of an “armistice.”

The terms of the armistice, presented (more…)

When the National September 11 Memorial was dedicated and officially opened in New York City on Sunday, September 11, 2011, it offered a chance to reflect on the solemn anniversary and to consider how memorializing the victims of war in a new era has changed.

This new memorial is a tribute to the 2,983 people killed in the 9/11 (more…)

It has been more than a decade since the American Folklife Center, through the U.S. Library of Congress, launched the "Veterans History Project," an ongoing effort to document the biographies and experiences of American veterans of wars and conflicts since World War One. The collection also includes documentation of those who contributed to war efforts (including war workers, (more…)

William Wyler's 1946 film about men returning home from World War II and the difficulty of life on the American homefront post-conflict is an amazing study of war's effects.

Wyler's 1942 classic, Mrs. Miniver, documented British life on the homefront during the war, and chronicled the sacrifices of one family during the Blitz. The film's moving (more…)

I was saddened to hear of the passing of the last known U.S. veteran of World War One, Frank Buckles.

He was 110 years old. It's hard to imagine the changes in the world that Mr. Buckles witnessed in his long life.

I had the great honor to meet Mr. Buckles at a ceremony (more…)