The Library of Congress has scheduled a formal ceremony next month to accept an Auburn family’s donation of hundreds of World War II photographs.
Sgt. Carl Chamberlain, who served a paratrooper in the war, carried a camera during his tour, and since 2018, his son, Michael, has been working to scan, research and archive about 900 images.
On Sept. 21, Michael will deliver the photos to the Library of Congress in Washington for its Veterans History Project, which is a collection of first-hand accounts from wartime veterans. The project, which is accessible online at loc.gov/vet, currently has stories, letters, documents and photos from about 110,000 veterans.
Michael Chamberlain said his father’s photos are one of the largest image donations ever made to the program. He’s hoping attention on this donation will inspire other veterans and their families to participate.
“It is important that veterans and their families take time to preserve their stories,” the Chamberlain family wrote in a press release. “This is especially true as a new generation of wartime veterans – those who served in Vietnam – are reaching their ‘golden years.’”
Carl Chamberlain, who would have turned 100 in July, volunteered with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (82nd Airborne) and was deployed to North Africa in 1943, according to his son. Carl had combat jumps during the invasions of Sicily and Italy and fought in the battles at Alta Villa, Mount Sammucro and Anzio.