Oral Histories Project
Preserving the voices of our local heros.
The Veterans’ Oral Histories Preservation Project was organized through Orem’s Heritage Advisory Commission. Its goal is to record as many histories as it can. This is quite a task considering the 2000 census indicates there are 17,137 veterans in the Provo/Orem area.
Orem Councilmember Les Campbell originally thought of the idea to collect and catalog local veterans’ histories and Heritage Commission member Don Norton is now spearheading the efforts. Norton has conducted many interviews himself and has recruited volunteer help from the Orem Youth Council and other community members.
The Heritage Commission is made up of 7 members. One of the seven is a member of the Orem Youth Council and will serve for the academic school year. The Heritage Advisory Commission shall make recommendations to the City Council regarding development of two memorials honoring veterans. One memorial is to be located at the city cemetery and the other is to be located at the city center. They shall establish a local tradition of formally celebrating our heritage through Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day celebrations and other appropriate holiday celebrations. They shall also establish the tradition of flag raising ceremonies and shall conduct educational outreach to enhance appreciation for our nation and the sacrifices made on its behalf.
For information regarding this site or how you can help with the Veterans’ Oral Histories Preservation Project, please contact:
Don Norton
Heritage Commission 830 East 200 South Orem, UT 84097
(801) 225-8050
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Jeff Pedersen
Orem City 56 North State St. Orem, UT 84057
(801) 229-7004
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