In today's episode of Veterans' Voices, we're doing something a little different.
If you're a regular listener or reader, you know we're all about sharing the stories of veterans, active duty service members, and their families at WYSO. But today, I talked to one of my mentors about the behind-the-scenes work of preserving military stories. Charlie Palumbo works at StoryCorps, the organization that brings the stories of everyday Americans to the airwaves every Friday on WYSO and other public media stations nationwide.
Charlie manages the Military Voices Initiative at StoryCorps and is a Navy veteran herself. She has spent over 15 years in veteran advocacy, so I asked her how they approach these interviews and why this work matters.
The following transcript is lightly edited for length and clarity.
Charlie Palumbo: I served in the U.S. Navy on a ship in Japan and actually met my husband on that ship. So I have kind of that dual experience of being both in the Navy and then getting out and being a military spouse for a while.
What I feel very passionate about is to serve those who serve.Charlie Palumbo
I think what I have done for the last 15 years, though, is support and advocate for the military and veteran community in many different roles: corporate, government, nonprofit. What I feel very passionate about is to serve those who serve.
The Military Voices really is an initiative that provides a platform for veterans, service members, and military families to amplify and honor their stories by using StoryCorps as a platform for this, and not only to capture the legacy of the individual but the history of the military. And who was behind the uniforms? Like, who are these people that served in these wars and all of these experiences that have shaped our country? Who are the people behind that?
And I want to get to know them, and I want the world to get to know them. And so I also want everyone that has served or supported those in service to know that they have a story that matters.
And I think that's so important because I think that shows that the service and the sacrifice and the, you know, the emotions of being in the military and the impact that it has, that I think if you ask, I'm not saying all veterans are ready to share their story. So you have to be ready for the 'no,' too. But the more you are curious and interested, you get to see this unique and diverse experience that I don't know that everybody, when they think of military and veterans, thinks of because there's just way more depth and scope than just one narrative of the veteran or two or three even.
I think we have some archetypes that maybe we all kind of... go to in our head when we think military veteran. But then you bring in the spouses, and you bring in the caregivers, and you bring in the families and the children, and you just have this...just all this perspective that shapes our country and is, I think, so important for America to hear.
I just am overwhelmed by and grateful by what those who serve and who have served alongside those who are serving what they've done for our country and the sacrifices they... they have made and the resilience that's... that's like the number one thing that always gets me is like, wow, the resilience of this community.
Veterans' Voices is supported by Wright-Patt Credit Union.
