The Combat Veterans Oral History Project

The Combat Veterans Oral History Project, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, was founded in 2010 in memory of my Uncle Sandy, killed in action on Iwo Jima in World War Two. I travel widely, dedicated to capturing the personal stories of combat veterans and making a documentary film of each subject. Most of my veterans are telling their story for the first time, and only do so because my purpose is entirely educational. The documentaries form the basis of my university class entitled, The Combat Experience. Each semester, veteran guest speakers from D-Day through OIF/OEF come in and engage the students in-person. The purpose is to give young people preparing to lead our nation a genuine and enduring understanding that combat is not a soundbite or a video game, but rather, the ultimate flesh and blood endeavor and sacrifice in service of preserving the unsurpassed privileges of life in a free democratic nation, both at home and abroad. I created this site to appeal to you to provide whatever support you can, so that I might continue to maintain and expand the project. Thank you in advance for any consideration. Matthew Bowen, PhD (professor of combat psychohistory; treating clinical psychologist with combat veterans).