Are you a veteran or were you a civilian supporting the war effort at home? What stories have your parents, grandparents or friends told about living during WWII? OETA provides several options that make it easy to share your story - online, telephone, e-mail or regular mail.

Story submission options:

Online: Type and submit your story electronically, or read and comment on the stories of other contributors.
Telephone: Visit our online story tool to access the toll-free 1-800 number and follow the simple instructions to record your story over the phone.
Regular mail: Send written or videotaped stories to:; Oklahoma World War II Stories; OETA; 7403 North Kelley Avenue; Oklahoma City, OK 73111
E-mail: E-mail your WWII stories to: warstories@oeta.tv
Questions?: E-mail warstories@oeta.tv or call 800-846-7665

Attention amateur filmmakers - OETA is also seeking video interviews to post online. Follow these simple steps and suggestions to conduct a thorough, quality video taped interview.

1. Conduct a Pre-Interview before taping:

Write your questions down
Write down stories that the person tells that you will want him or her to recount for you while taping.

2. Interview in a quiet, well-lit room and avoid noise from:

Cell phones
Fluorescent lights
Ringing telephones and televisions
Street Noise
Other conversations

3. Test the camera equipment before the interview so that you are familiar with it.

4. Use the highest quality video or audio recorder and microphone(s):

Digital video recordings are preferred
Use external microphones
Do not use extended time speeds on recorders

Not sure where to begin? From finding your interview subject to asking the right questions, OETA has you covered.

Selecting your story subject:

Find a family member or friend who lived during the 1940s and ask them if they are comfortable sharing their story with you.
Ask friends and family if they know anyone who experienced WWII on the battlefield or home front.
Call your local retirement center or nursing home and ask the activities coordinator to help you locate a WWII era resident who will share their story with you.

Preparing for the interview:

Use OETA's online resources to learn more about World War II before conducting the interview.
Visit a local museum or WWII memorial to learn more about your community's overall experience of the War.
Select a quiet, comfortable, private place to conduct your interview. Tell the subject in advance to reserve at least an hour for the interview.
Bring a video or tape recorder so that you can capture each response accurately. (not required)

Interview Tips:

Keep the tape recorders or video camera running throughout the interview - unless you are asked to turn it off by the interviewee. Never record secretly.
Keep your questions short. Avoid complicated, multipart questions
Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Ask "how, when, and why" questions instead
Keep your opinions out of the interview, and don't ask leading questions that suggest answers
Encourage the interviewee with nods of the head rather than audible responses such as "yes" or "uh huh" that will be recorded
Don't begin the interview with questions about painful or controversial topics
Be patient and give the interviewee time to reflect before going on to a new question. Many people take short reflective breaks in the course of answering one question
Use follow-up questions to elicit more details from the interviewee. Examples include: When did that happen? Did that happen to you? What did you think about that? What are the steps in doing that?
Consider asking the interviewee to show you photographs, commendations, and personal letters as a way of enhancing the interview. Such documents often encourage memories and provoke interesting stories

Interview Questions:

Before beginning the official line of questions, be sure to write down:

Date and place of the interview
Full name of the person being interviewed
Interviewee's birth date
Names of the people attending the interview (including the interviewer and camera operators)

Questions for veterans:

Were you drafted or did you enlist?
When did you begin your service?
How long did you serve?
Which branch of service?
What was your rank?
Where did you serve?
Did you see combat?
What was your commanding officer like or what were the people who served under you like?
What was the hardest part about being in the military?
What about your service makes you feel nostalgic?
How did you keep in touch with friends and family?
Do you still keep in touch with other veterans?

General Questions for veterans and civilians:

How old were you during the War?
What is your birth date?
Where were you when Pearl Harbor was attacked?
How did life change for you as a result of the war?
What hardships did you face?
What lessons did the war teach you?
What was the first thing that happened to you that made you realize the war was going to impact your life?
What was your occupation?
Where did you go to school?
Where did you live?
Did you have a loved one who fought?
What were you doing on D-Day, VE-Day or VJ-Day?
At the end of the war, how did you celebrate?
How did things in your community change during the War?
How did the war affect your family?
How did your activities or habits change?
How did you get news about the War?
What did you do for fun?
Did rationing affect you?
Were there shortages of any items?

Collecting, Preserving and Sharing Oklahoma's WWII Experiences...