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Congressman Kennedy pushing to preserve WWII vets' stories

BOSTON — Congressman Joe Kennedy III is spearheading an effort to record as many veteran’s war stories and life histories as possible.

The program was launched Friday in Boston where Kennedy sat down with his first subject, 92-year-old Navy veteran Arnold Marcus.

Marcus said he was grateful for the experience to serve aboard the Columbia during WWII, even when it was attacked by a Japanese kamikaze pilot.

"They gave me the opportunity to learn how to survive and help other people survive,” he said.

For his heroism, Marcus was awarded a Combat Action Ribbon and Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon.  Both were reissued in a ceremony where is wife Enid was at his side as Kennedy praised them for their service and delivered a citation from the House of Representatives.

"It is because of men and women like Arnold and Enid that we enjoy the freedoms that we take for granted every single day that make our country and our communities what they are,” Kennedy said.

The goal of speaking with Marcus and other veterans is to record the stories and archive them at the Library of Congress.

“To try to teach future generations about war, what soldier and sailors and men and women in uniform go through and what their families go through,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy is asking the public to reach out to his office if they'd like to nominate someone to be interviewed.