Since 2000, the Library of Congress has held a special collection of personal stories of American war veterans, beginning with World War I.

It takes a special interest to contribute to the collection, known as the Veterans History Project.

Personal recorded narratives, correspondence or visual items – such as photographs and scrapbooks – are accepted from not only war heroes but also civilians directly involved in supporting war efforts.

Tampa’s very own Mclean Haughey is a 17-year-old who as part of his Eagle Scout Project took on a special interest in preserving this type of living history. He spent six months interviewing 11 men and women. Below are summaries of the veterans Haughey honored.

On March 4, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor presented Haughey’s taped interviews to Col. Robert Patrick, director of the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress, where they will take their place alongside the personal stories of so many others, and give future generations the opportunity to directly hear from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

“Mclean’s effort to collect the oral histories of our veterans was no small task, and I applaud his perseverance,” said Rep. Castor, who has previously contributed to the Veterans History Project. “I’m proud to present these audios to the Library of Congress on Mclean’s behalf.”

Haughey is a junior at Plant High School and a member of Troop53 in Tampa. He joined the Cub Scouts in first grade and the Boy Scouts in fifth grade.

Rep. Castor’s office assists constituents with accessing the programs and services of all federal agencies, such as the Library of Congress. In addition, tickets, tours and information about historical sites – including the U.S. Capitol, Library of Congress and Supreme Court -- are available through her office.

Veterans Being Honored: 

1.      Michael Halley – Born and raised in Chicago, Ill., he joined the Marine Corps when he was 18 years old. He was inspired by his brother, who had already been a Marine for three years. He served in Vietnam and did two tours during his time there. In 1968, he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps.

2.      Linda Pugsley – She was a flight nurse in Vietnam and served two tours from 1968 through 1972. In Vietnam, she was both a second and first lieutenant. She stayed with the Air Force for 11 years and was honorably discharged with the ranking of a major. She is now a chaplain and lieutenant colonel in the Civil Air Patrol.

3.      George T. Blanford (born June 4, 1921) – He served as a Navy Commander in the Pacific and various posts and stations in the United States. He enlisted March 7, 1942 because of his sense of patriotism to this country. He received a citation from Admiral Nimitz for his action at Saipan. He has been married for 63 years and has four children and eight grandchildren.

4.      Bob Rose (born Dec. 23, 1942) – He enlisted in the Air Force during the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Due to a medical injury, he was honorably discharged from the Air Force after a two year stay. He briefly served at MacDill Air Force during the Vietnam War.

5.      Stephen William Beinert (born Aug. 5, 1940) – He served in the Army and fought in the Dominican Republic in 1965. He was with the 82^nd Airborne Division and also served in the Vietnam War. He was a Sergeant E5 during the Dominican Republic conflict and a Staff Sergeant E6 during the Vietnam War.

6.      Robert Martin Radlein (born April 14, 1949 in the Panama Canal Zone) – His father was in the Air Force, which inspired him to join the military. His parents were from Chicago, Ill., and after his father retired in 1966, he and his family settled in Tampa, Florida. At the age of 19, he enlisted in the Air Force and his father swore him in. He fought in the Vietnam War and worked in the communications center at the first tactile fighter wing on the base.

7.      William Monfort (born Dec. 17, 1916) – He served in the Navy before and during World War II. He was chief radio man and served in the Pacific. He was raised in Georgia before enlisting at age 18. His parents inspired him to join the Navy. Since he served as a radio operator, he was a supervisor and utilized the Morse code to send and receive messages. He served in the Navy for 10 years and two months, and later worked for the FAA and air traffic control for 27 years.

8.      Ron Ponton (born Aug. 20, 1952) – He served in Vietnam with the Marine Corps and the combined action program. His rank when leaving the military was Corporal E4. He served in Quang Nam province of Hoi An in Vietnam. He is a native of Tampa of a third-generation, dairy-farming business.