Project aims to keep stories of Long Island veterans alive

A Long Island production company is doing its part to keep veterans' stories alive.
Our Heroes, Their Stories started in Glen Cove with a partnership between the senior center and a production company. The hope is to eventually record more veterans' stories throughout Long Island and beyond.
Ben Zeitlin, of MyStoryVideo, says he wants to provide a safe space for veterans to share their memories so they aren't forgotten. He was inspired to start the project a few years ago after interviewing a World War II veteran who survived the Battle of the Bulge. That veteran had never spoken about some of his wartime experiences before, and he died in 2016 a short time after the interviews.
The veteran's grandson, Doug Poniarski, now has hours of video of him, sharing his story in his own words.
Tony Jimenez supports veterans daily as the director of Glen Cove Veterans Affairs. Still, he says he kept quiet about his service during the Vietnam War until he heard about the project.
"It was kind of like a release of everything that was inside of me," he said.
Since 2016, veterans from World War II, the Vietnam War and Korean War have been interviewed for Our Heroes, Their Stories, but anyone with military experience is able to take part.
Participation in the project is free. Zeitlin says they rely on sponsorships for it.