Even as you read this column there may be people you know spending their Saturday inside recording stories. Over the last two years a group of volunteers through the Nordic Heritage Museum have interviewed over 150 people about their experiences in Scandinavia during World War II or as immigrants united by livelihood. If you are Gordon Strand or one of the Steering Committee members it’s not just Saturdays spent with narrators; it’s some part of the project almost every day of the week.

Ten years ago the Nordic Heritage Museum and Ballard Historical Society had funding for an oral history project that became a book, a video and an exhibit, “Voices of Ballard.” That effort, likewise conducted by volunteers, but coordinated by a professional historian created an even greater demand to record the stories of those who experienced what we now call history. The current effort has even greater scope, very little funding, but has become a consuming passion for everyone involved.

Mari-Ann Kind Jackson calls it, “the most rewarding time I have spent on anything in years.” She speaks as
yet another person that Gordon Strand convinced to participate who is now involved as a steering committee member, a narrator and an interviewer. As a child in occupied Norway she unknowingly delivered illegal news concealed in a loaf of bread then placed in the baby buggy with her rag doll. Since joining the project she has been participated in all but one of the group interviews conducted over the last two years.

“Ninety-nine percent of the people that we contact say ‘my story isn’t that interesting.’ But I have heard the most poignant, heart wrenching and beautiful stories in the last few years. Everyone does have a story.”

Since putting out the call for narrators and volunteers the Steering Committee has been willing to do almost whatever it takes to connect with those willing to share their story on tape. They send groups of interviewers to meet with narrators in one location, whether Mount Vernon or Skagit Valley, a nursing home or a cultural club. On September 17th they will be meeting with narrators at the Nordic Heritage Museum.

As with the original project each new story sparks the desire to find more, and to share it in more ways such as video, web site, on-line archives, another exhibit. The first interviews and a resulting video (which represents a fraction of the experiences) focus on life for those in Denmark and Norway. As Brendan Benson, another Steering Committee member and a member of the Swedish Cultural Club, says, “Finland fought a different war.” They want to make sure they portray the full Scandinavian experience.

This is why Gordon Strand and his volunteers always need more interviewers, more money, more leads on finding narrators. They need better equipment so that they can record with better definition. They need another “angel” like Brandon Benson whose contributions have been matched by his Boeing employer. They need another person such as Vaun Raymond who edited and created the video. They need the faithful volunteers, some of who worked on the first project, like editor Lynn Moen. They need contacts at other organizations around the state so they can set up interviews with those who farmed and fished after they emigrated. They need another Mari-Ann Kind Jackson who has worked on every aspect of the project and purchased at least ten DVDs of the video (at $20 suggested donation) to give as gifts.

The video, “Under the Clouds of War” will be screened at the museum at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21st. Suggested donation is $5.00.

“Once you get involved you understand the value of the project,” Brandon told me. That was echoed over and over by each person, from Gordon Strand who works on this almost full-time, to Mari-Ann Kind Jackson who confesses she was never that interested in history back in school. “It goes beyond the voices,” Benson said, speaking of the documentary that will screen on Wednesday.

The voices share amazing stories but it is the story of a whistle that will haunt you, and you too will be hooked on hearing more.

To learn more about the project or suggest a narrator contact Gordon Strand or Linda Lingle at the Nordic Heritage Museum. “Under the Clouds of War” will screen at 7 p.m. on September 21st. $5.00 suggested donation and copies will be available.