Today we’d like to introduce you to Neil Gallagher.
Hi Neil, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Neil Gallagher. I grew up in Oviedo, Florida, and I began interviewing WWII veterans in 6th or 7th grade, hoping to learn more about my grandfather’s service during the war. Eventually, I began speaking with veterans of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. I eventually started calling the project “Preserving the Stories”, and once I moved to the Tampa Bay area for undergrad, I greatly expanded the project. Today, we are a registered nonprofit and have interviewed over 200 veterans across the country.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The project has faced a few challenges throughout the process. During my military service, it was often difficult to balance the project alongside my workload. This remained true while in undergrad and now while in Law School. However, I like to think I have found a decent balance, all things considered.
One challenge arises from the difficulty of finding veterans to speak with, especially WWII veterans. When I began this project in 2008, I could walk into an IHOP around lunch and leave with the phone number for two or three veterans who agreed to speak to me; now I rely heavily on word of mouth. While growing up in Florida made finding these veterans easier, this was not the case in states with fewer veterans.
Another difficulty often comes when the veterans I have previously interviewed pass away. I consider many of these heroes my friends, and it is never easy learning of their passing. This has become more prevalent as these veterans have grown in age, and I often find myself conducting these interviews in hospice facilities. It is a true honor to record these stories before they are lost to time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
There are a few of us who do these interviews, and I like to think we are different from many others in that we encourage the veteran being interviewed to lead the conversation. We have the mindset that it is their story, and we are here to capture it. We feel this allows the veterans to feel more comfortable and share only what they are comfortable sharing.
Another aspect we are excited about is that we soon will be sharing our interviews (with the veterans’ permission) with the Library of Congress as part of their veterans’ oral history project.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We are always looking to speak to veterans who are willing to share their stories. If you know a veteran who may be open to talking with us, we would love to meet them! We travel across the country, so they don’t have to be in Florida!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://preservingthestories.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preservingthestories
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/preservingthestories
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilhgallagher/
- Twitter: http://x.com/rememberthempts
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@preservingthestories
Image Credits
Neil Gallagher
