Field document · For the record
Mission Briefing
Foundation
Veterans’ Voices of Newton did not begin as a formal organization. The idea began when Ethan realized that history wasn't just in textbooks or lessons. Many of the more interesting aspects actually lived within the memories of people in his neighborhood. Ethan grew up in a family with roots in Canada. His parents came to the U.S. over two decades ago and his mother was originally from British ruled Hong Kong before that. Interestingly, military service was not part of his immediate family experience, even though he had always been interested in military history himself. The idea began to take shape in his sophomore year, when Ethan volunteered to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at a Memorial Day ceremony. Seeing veterans, families, and community members gathered together suddenly made history feel real, immediate and personal in a way it just hadn’t before. A few weeks later, at an awards ceremony at American Legion Post 440, he met more local veterans and began hearing pieces and fragments of experiences that don't typically appear in conventional histories. Each person there carried not only a record of service, but a story about family, work, fear, friendship, chance, loss, and the life that followed. After hearing parts of Kevin McNamara’s story months before formally interviewing him, the entire idea stopped being abstract. Ethan picked up some recording equipment, began reaching out to veterans, and committed himself to preserving their voices.
In Production
Veterans’ Voices of Newton (VVN) is now a growing student-produced oral-history archive featuring veterans with ties to Newton and surrounding communities. Each episode begins with a long-form recorded conversation of an hour or greater. After each interview, Ethan goes back through the conversation, finds the story at its center, selects and edits the veteran’s own audio, researches the historical context, records a small amount of narration, and brings it all together with music and sound. The goal isn’t to turn each interview into a list of ranks, dates, and assignments. It’s also not to make every veteran’s story fit the same mold. Some were in combat; others kept things running through communications, administration, medicine, logistics, maintenance, and other assignments. Some describe their service with pride, some with ambivalence, and many with both. An overarching principle of VVN is that the veteran’s own voice remains at the center. Accordingly, before an episode is actually published, the veteran receives a private copy for review. The veteran is free to correct facts, request edits, identify material that should remain private, or simply ask for something to be removed. Nothing is released until the veteran has had an opportunity to approve everything. Eight episodes have now been published, with additional interviews and episodes in production. The more veterans Ethan has spoken with, the clearer it has become that there is no single veteran experience. Sometimes the little details are what stay with you. Veterans’ Voices tries to make those stories easy to hear and understand without oversimplifying what each person went through.
Forward
The Veterans' Voices of Newton (VVN) project will keep expanding by recording new stories and building stronger connections across Newton’s veteran, school, library, and historical communities. Ethan hopes VVN can make military history feel less distant—especially for younger people who will be able to hear the stories and wisdom directly from local veterans. As such, the episodes are intended not just to preserve the past, but to create conversations across generations. It is Ethan's genuine hope that Veteran's voices will help promote discussions about choices, responsibility, uncertainty, belonging, and the many ways service can continue making a difference long after a uniform is put away. Ethan believes VVN can grow into something that continues long after he graduates. He hopes to leave behind a growing archive, a repeatable process, and a structure that can continue after he graduates. There are still many stories within Newton and the surrounding community that have never been recorded. And Veterans’ Voices will, of course, continue seeking them. Not every interview has a big dramatic moment, and it doesn’t need one. Each veteran’s experience has meaning on its own terms.
With gratitude
Thank you to the veterans who have opened up about their experiences and allowed Veterans' Voices of Newton to preserve them. A special thank you to American Legion Post 440 and its veterans community for encouraging Ethan, introducing him to participants, and giving Veterans’ Voices a place to grow. And finally, thank you to the families, friends, educators, and neighbors who help veterans tell and preserve their stories—and who understand the value of keeping that history close to home.