Royal United Services Institute of
Vancouver Island (RUSI-VI)

Military Oral History Project Report to RUSI VI AGM 2007

Over three years ago, RUSI-VI entered into a successful partnership with the University of Victoria History Department in the creation of the Military Oral History Project.  Since then, 28 students have participated in three courses, learning how to conduct a formal interview, interpret the data, and record the stories and experiences of our veterans and their families.  The results of the program have been most encouraging, and the students have now recorded some wonderful personal histories and remembrances of almost 70 veterans.

The past year has seen the continued progress of the Program in several important ways:

• First, 11 students completed the 2006 semester, with the assistance of 33 veteran interviewees.  The topics ranged from POWs and strategic bomber units in WWII, to humanitarian assistance/ UN Operations, to Canadian families living overseas.  The completed research papers have now been filed in the University’s archives.
  
• A highlight last September was a special reception hosted by RUSI, attended by some 150 veterans, war brides, students and other distinguished guests, including the Lt Governor of B.C.    Her Honour recognized the significant contribution made by the students and veterans and presented each with a Certificate of Appreciation.  Photos of the event have been made available on the RUSI web site for use by the veterans and the students.
   
• The relationship between UVIC and RUSI has continued to develop through regular contacts between the university’s senior faculty members (such as Dr. Andrew Rippin, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities; Dr. David Zimmerman, Professor of Military History, and Dr. Shawn Cafferky, Assistant Professor of Military History and teacher of the courses) and RUSI’s Project Director, John Eggenberger and Paula Skippon, the RUSI coordinator.

For the coming year, RUSI intends to continue its support of the Military History Project as one of the key components of the Institute’s recently approved  “Outreach Program”.  To this end, we will be working in the following three areas:

1. As part of the administrative structure, RUSI ensures that there is a nominated coordinator from each Service to assist in identifying veterans who might have the required background for the students’ research, and who would be willing to volunteer their time and share their experiences during a formal interview process.  While a naval coordinator is in place, there is a need to identify both an Army and Air coordinator for the fall semester.
   
2. The History Department is planning to hold a conference on Military Oral History in February 2008 in Victoria.  This will be a student-centered conference, with academics serving as panel chairs and running workshops.  Students at other Canadian universities that offer similar military history studies will be invited to present papers.  And a select list of veterans will also be invited to attend and participate in the conference.
   
3. Finally, we will maintain our strong links with UVIC, as well as monitor other complementary activities, such as the Memory Project of the Dominion Institute.  Adequate funding remains a challenge for all oral history projects, and requires combined efforts and collaboration, wherever possible, to enable these important activities to exist.