Bringing War Home Project
Using objects to understand the experiences and legacies of armed conflict
Established with a NEH sponsored program grant and the support of university and community partners, two faculty members created the Bringing War Home project. The objects are important as they create essential personal stories that make sense of them.
Many of us are familiar with wartime souvenirs, whether we have direct experience with the battlefield or not. Some of these objects are personal, a way for veterans to preserve their experiences. Often, we treasure objects from our relatives who have participated in the wars of the 20th century; special things linger on as memorials that help our families tell the stories of how beloved fathers, grandfathers, mothers and grandmothers, cousins, and siblings contributed to the larger history of war. Through a National Endowment for the Humanities sponsored program led by two Utah State University faculty from history and anthropology, the “Bringing War Home” project invites the community--military and civilian alike--to connect with the history of war through sharing wartime objects and the personal stories that surround them.
Object Stories
Students and volunteers are eager to document and preserve these special items in a planned community archive to be housed with USU libraries. Such public history preserved in a digital archive will enable students, educators, and future generations to engage with these important sources of our shared past. Working with Utah Public Radio, we also plan to record the family narratives that accompany such objectives in order to appreciate fully the long-term impact of war. Using the objects and stories collected at these roadshows, we will be working with USU Digital Initiatives to create an accessible, public digital archive and exhibition "Effects of War: Stories and Objects from Utah."
We invite you to share your story in a recorded interview with Utah Public Radio
Student Opportunities
The Bringing War Home Project offers students myriad opportunities to engage in public digital humanities and research. Students can hone their skills in primary and secondary source evaluation, oral and written communication, and interpretation through ANTH 3390/HIST 3390 the Objects of War undergraduate course.
Working one-on-one with the Project Directors students can deepen their understanding through experiential learning. Utilizing the digital archive, students can design research and public engagement projects.
Upcoming Events
Bringing War Home Traveling Exhibits in 2026
- January 30th – December 31st: Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake City, Utah
- April 1 – May 25th: Hyrum City Museum (Setup March 30th) Hyrum Utah
- June 1 – July 31st: Uintah County Heritage Museum (Setup May 38th), Vernal Utah
- August – September: (setup August 10th) USU Library, Price Utah
- November – December: (setup November 2nd) Wendover Airfield Museum, Wendover, Utah
Roadshows
- July 11th: Museum of Idaho, Rexburg Idaho
Student Programs
- September Honors book lab
- Spring 2027 ANTH/HIST 3390
Other Public Events
- May 2nd: Family First Saturday Event at the USU Museum of Anthropology
Get Involved
Attend a Roadshow
Join a community roadshow to help preserve veterans’ stories and objects for a public digital archive and traveling exhibit.
Volunteer
The project is looking for volunteers to help archive object stories, document new object stories, create educational materials, and host new documentation events.
Support the Project
Create your Aggie Impact by making a gift to the Bringing War Home Project
Testimonials
"I'm really honored to be included in your exhibit. I took a peek at the other ones (one from Vietnam and Normandy), and I'm really humbled to be included with that group .... thank you again for your work on this. It means a lot to us veterans to see that someone else not connected to the military noticed us."
"Thanks for reaching out, and thanks again for the opportunity that was afforded me to tell my story. I think this is awesome work that you all have done and I would be proud to be a part of it."
"Objects on their own might not mean much to some people, but our roadshow project gave us the opportunity to document the stories behind the object to give them life. Engaging with the community allowed the class to document the history from the people around us, the people we might pass every day without ever knowing the stories they carry."
"The Roadshow was a valuable event that allowed the public to come in and talk about their objects. By engaging the community and public, it allows people to come and tell their stories that otherwise may have never been heard before....There are so many important stories out there from veterans themselves or family members of veterans that may never have the chance to be shared or documented"
News and Media
Utah State University’s Bringing War Home project recently hosted a roadshow at the USU Moab Center on Oct. 22. The event resulted in the chance to archive an additional 49 objects and five oral histories.
Birth certificates from babies born on overseas military bases. Art etched onto artillery shells out of sheer boredom. Knickknacks carried for luck or something like it. Draft orders of a soldier who never came home. Two Utah State University scholars are collecting the stories attached to the objects we keep stashed in closets and displayed on mantels as one way to understand the history of war.
The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded two Utah State University College of Humanities and Social Sciences faculty members $99,891 for a two-year, community-facing project “Bringing War Home: Object Stories, Memory, and Modern War,” one of 11 such projects funded by its Dialogues on the Experience of War program this cycle.
