The National Museum of the Marine Corps has a new Texas ambassador — U.S. Marine Major James Crabtree. Crabtree was appointed to the position by Governor Greg Abbott.
Crabtree coordinates the Texas Veterans Land Board's Voices of Veterans oral history program. His new duties as a member of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's Governors Council will include helping spread the word to fellow Marines about the museum, just outside Quantico, Virginia.
"It will be easy to talk about because it's the best museum I've ever seen," Crabtree said. "It covers the history of the Marine Corps in a way I can only describe as a total immersion experience, from the yellow footprints when you load off the bus at boot camp to the conflicts that defined the Marines. Anyone who's ever been in the Marines would love it."
Crabtree will spread the word about the museum as he works to gather the stories of Texas veterans. The Voices of Veterans program records the stories of Texas men and women who served our nation to preserve their memories for future generations. Oral history interviews provide future historians with undiscovered knowledge about historical events such as battles or military action.
Crabtree, who lives in Cedar Park, enlisted in 1997 while a student at the University of Texas at Austin. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and is adjutant for the 14 th Marines, an artillery regiment based at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.
To learn more about Voices of Veterans oral history program, visit www.glo.texas.gov/voices-of-veterans/
Any veteran interested in including his or her story in the Voices of Veterans program should contact the Veterans Land Board at 1-800-252-VETS (8387), or send an e-mail to vlbinfo@glo.texas.gov.
Oral history interviews can be conducted in person at the Veterans Land Board in Austin, or by telephone from anywhere in Texas. Interviews usually last from one to two hours.
###