The Learning Commons will be closed for Veterans Day on Tuesday, November 11.
History of Veterans Day
According to Credo Reference’s Veterans Day topic page, the holiday began in 1926 as Armistice Day, which commemorated the end of World War I on November 11, 1918.
In 1954, it was renamed Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars, and in 1971 it became a federal holiday.
Resources for Veterans
Veterans Services
Are you a veteran? Whatcom Community College has an office of Veterans Services that can help you apply to the college, find financial assistance options, and get support from fellow veterans.
Books
The wounded warrior handbook: a resource guide for returning veterans (print book, 2009) by Don Philpott and Janelle Moore
Includes information about injury and recovery, medical issues, support, financial and legal issues, the DoD and the VA, success stories, and handling bereavement.
Life after the military: a handbook for transitioning veterans (print book, 2011) by Janelle Moore, Cheryl Lawhorne Scott, and Don Philpott
“Discusses the issues transitioning veterans face when making the move to civilian life, from finding employment to managing finances.”
Ask & tell: gay and lesbian veterans speak out (print book or eBook, 2007) by Steve Estes
“Drawing on more than 50 interviews with gay and lesbian veterans, Steve Estes charts the evolution of policy toward homosexuals in the military over the past 65 years, uncovering the ways that silence about sexuality and military service has affected the identities of gay veterans. These veteran voices … reveal the extraordinary stories of ordinary Americans, men and women who simply did their duty and served their country in the face of homophobia, prejudice, and enemy fire.”
A different battle: stories of Asian Pacific American veterans (print book, 1999) by Carina A. Del Rosario, Ken Mochizuki, and Dean Wong
“Fifty veterans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent tell of the struggles they faced in the military because of racism, and the different forms it has taken in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. They also tell of their experience as soldiers: the camaraderie, the shock of combat, the loss of seeing friends killed.”
Films
(All films in the library’s Films on Demand database have closed captions and can be embedded in Canvas.)
Veterans coming home (film series, 2016, 15 episodes approx. 7 min. each) by Kindling Group
“This series features short segments focused on “what works” for veterans and communities — from employment to education to volunteering — as service members navigate the transition back into civilian life.”
Debt of honor: disabled veterans in American history (film, 2015, 67 min.) by PBS
“A moving tribute to the history of disabled veterans, Debt of Honor takes an unflinching look at the reality of warfare and disability, featuring interviews with some of the country’s most prominent disabled veterans.”
For help finding more information, don’t hesitate to chat with us.