Conducting the Interview
The big day has arrived. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

• Be on time for the interview.
• Be respectful. This person is sharing an important time in his or her life with you. Honor that.
• Give the person time to respond to each question. He or she is remembering events that occurred more than half a century ago. Be patient.
• Be a good listener. Sometimes the best questions are prompted by an answer to another question. Don't be afraid to veer from your list of questions to ask about something your interviewee just said.
• Thank the person for talking with you and sharing memories of World War II.

Here are some questions you might ask. Be sure to add your own.

• What is your name? (Check to get the correct spelling.)
• When and where were you born?
• How old were you when World War II started in 1939?
• Where were you during the war?
• What was day-to-day life like for you?
• What do you remember most about World War II?
• What is your happiest memory from that time?
• What is your saddest memory?
• How do you feel the war changed your life?
• Is there anything about the war that you feel differently about now than you did then?

Congratulations for an interview well done! Now write up your notes into an oral history.