Honoring Heroes: Organizing and Preserving Military Memorabilia Alongside Your Photo Collection
My family and I discovered so much about my mother’s biological father when we finally opened those old boxes and pieced his story together. By preserving these photos, letters, documents, and military memorabilia, we’re keeping his memory alive and sharing it with others. Through this journey, my mom learned that her parents didn't marry because of an unexpected pregnancy, but out of love before he went off to war—a marriage certificate confirmed it!
From our late aunts and cousins, we uncovered stories about his personality, his mannerisms, and even the way he held my mom as a baby. If we hadn’t taken the time to explore these treasures, we would’ve lost his story forever. Don’t wait to honor your family’s heroes. Share their stories and sacrifices. Lest we forget.
Preserving the legacy of a veteran is a meaningful way to honor their service and keep their stories alive for future generations.
For Remembrance Day (or Veteran's Day), consider these steps to help you safeguard their memories and mementos:
Gather and Organize Memorabilia: Collect items like newspaper articles, medals, dog tags, pins, discharge papers, certificates, and other keepsakes that honor their service. Sort through these pieces, labeling them where possible to keep track of the stories behind each one.
Photograph and Digitize: Take high-quality photos of each item to create a digital archive that can be easily shared and preserved. Scanning important documents, like discharge papers or certificates, can also protect these irreplaceable mementos.
Document Stories: If you know stories about their time in service, write them down or record a video sharing their experiences. Interview family members who remember them or have stories to pass on. Capturing these memories keeps their legacy alive.
Create a Family History Project: Compile these photos and stories into a digital or physical photo book, scrapbook, or video montage to share with family members. This can become a treasured family heirloom, celebrating the veterans in your lineage and preserving their stories for future generations.
Share and Remember: Use Remembrance Day or Veteran’s Day as an opportunity to share these stories with family members, especially younger generations, and remind them of the sacrifices made by those who served.
Honoring veterans in this way keeps their memory alive and strengthens family bonds across generations.
