Cattaraugus County officials are actively seeking veterans to participate in a new project that seeks to record their tales.

The project, titled “Our Veterans, Their Stories,” aims to preserve the oral histories of county veterans to preserve the human face of American History for generations to come and honor the men and women from our area who swore to defend and protect the United States.

Video recordings will be made of interviews with the veterans, which will then be made available to the veterans themselves, and the general public both online and at the Cattaraugus County Museum and Research Library. Veterans from all service branches, including National Guard and reserves, are encouraged to take part.

“I hear these stories on a regular basis,” said county Veterans Service Director Steve McCord. “We want to sit down with any veteran that wants to tell their story and we will record it.”

In addition, an official kick-off event is being planned at the County Museum on Armed Forces Day, May 15th. An accompanying exhibit at the museum is also in the works, and veterans will be asked if they have any artifacts from their service they would be interested in displaying.

If you are interested in participating, or know anyone who might be, visit the Veterans Stories page or contact Steve McCord at 716-701-3298. The County Museum can also be reached at 716-353-8200.