Hi, I’m John Southard.

I’m the founder of Your Veteran’s History and a historian by training. I hold a PhD in U.S. military history and spent several years teaching military history at the college level. I’ve published a book on the history of the U.S. Marine Corps, along with numerous academic articles in major history journals.

My work has taken me deep into the National Archives and archival collections across the country, where I’ve spent years learning how to find, interpret and connect the records that tell the story of a veteran’s service. Through Your Veteran’s History, I’ve now helped uncover and reconstruct the stories of dozens of individual veterans for their families.

But the reason I started Your Veteran’s History is much more personal.

My father, a U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam, rarely talks about his time in the war. Like so many families, we were left with pieces of his story and questions about what he experienced that were difficult to answer.

Your Veteran’s History was created to help fill that void.

Every veteran’s story matters — whether they served on the front lines or in support roles. Our mission is to uncover those stories, preserve them accurately and give families the pride, understanding and closure that comes from finally knowing what their veteran did.

— John Southard, PhD
Founder and CEO