LMU Digital Veterans Legacy Project
The Loyola Marymount Digital Veterans Legacy Project (DVLP) is a grant funded project affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Cemetery Administration.
Developed by a multidisciplinary team of LMU scholars, its goal is to engage students in uplifting underrepresented veterans, in particular Buffalo Soldiers and Asian Americans, interred at the Los Angeles National Cemetery by creating digital media about their lives.
The LMU DVLP initially focuses on minority veterans buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery (LANC), located in West Los Angeles. The project seeks to provide a methodology for research and curriculums on these veterans to LMU faculty, LMU students, and local high school students. Additionally, the project aims to develop digital media programs, such as social media posts, short videos, and online tutorials, to share the research and stories of American veterans.
Our Commitment
The DVLP preserves American veterans' legacy and contributions through digital media, an open platform, and model research. It provides a reliable research foundation and inspires future generations to appreciate their sacrifices. NOAAV is proud to support the DVLP and its mission to educate students about the history of minority. As part of our commitment, we share our resources and connections to facilitate research and connect LMU to our expanded network of contacts. We believe that this project is an important step towards honoring the contributions of our veterans and ensuring that their stories are preserved for future generations.
4 Stages of the LMU DVLP
The DVLP is divided into four stages in the first year
First Stage
The first stage involves determining the methodology of research and study on minority veterans and creating standard guidelines for finding or creating the list of veterans buried in the national cemetery, locating related information of veterans from public data sources, understanding the significance of these veteran's experiences, finalizing the criteria for the scope of a study project, and writing a biography for a minority veteran.
Second Stage
The second stage involves conducting model research about Chinese & Asian American veterans and Buffalo soldiers who are buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery. Our founder Mr. Peter M Chow, a Vietnam War veteran and Brown Star recipient, has been invited to join the advisory committee of the project and will be responsible for liaising and organizing various Chinese and Asian organizations in Los Angeles, including the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association - Los Angeles, American Legion - Post 628, the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California (CHSSC), the Chinese American Museum, the UCLA-Asian American Studies Center, etc. Mr. Chow will also partner with these associations to collect information of veterans in the national cemetery from the Chinese and Asian American community via public events, announcements, and press conferences.
Third Stage
The third stage involves creating and maintaining an open platform through a public website and database that contains guidelines and resources for future research projects on minority veterans. The platform will hire a digital archiver to convert paper documents into digital formats (spreadsheet) and a registration form to allow individuals to add new information. Teachers and students can access information from raw materials to research results from other projects.
Fourth Stage
The fourth and final stage involves holding a public announcement at the end of the first year with a presentation of the model research result. The goal is to inspire school teachers and students to create their own research and curriculums on minority veterans. In particular, Mr. Chow will invite district schools in San Gabriel and Alhambra to participate and continue the research on Chinese American veterans buried in the national cemetery.