Many veterans don’t like to discuss their time in a combat zone.

Those who served in combat have every right not to talk about what they experienced while fighting on foreign lands.

It has to be very difficult for many of them to discuss their experiences with others, including family members.

The stories and experiences of famed generals George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses Grant, Dwight Eisenhower, George S. Patton, Omar Bradley, Douglas MacArthur, William Westmoreland, Creighton Abrams, Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell and David Petraeus are well known.

That’s great that their stories are documented for future generations to learn about, but it is also important to hear the stories from the common foot soldiers and lower-ranking officers who served in wars such as World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the war on terror.

The Witness to War project, which was started in 2002, allows veterans to share their stories with others. Retired Col. Greg Lowe, who fought in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971, and retired Col. Mike Devine, who served two tours fighting in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967 and from 1969 to 1970, gathered last week at Western Kentucky University’s Augenstein Alumni Center to tell students of their experiences. Eight more Vietnam veterans told their stories of service there last week.

Hearing stories from those who served in Vietnam had to be very interesting. Those listening to these veterans are learning an important piece of history, not from books or documentaries, but directly from those who served.

That is one of the many reasons this project is such a plus for all involved.

Witness to War has done about 1,700 interviews for its archives, which are located at witnesstowar.org. There are interviews, ranging from 30 minutes to five hours, of veterans sharing their stories. The website has more than 3,000 video clips.

Those involved with the project record veterans’ stories no matter how mundane the veterans think it might be. They like to ask veterans what they took with them and how they got into the military and what the war experience did for them, positively or negatively.

Overall, the idea is to capture in person what history books don’t cover. Getting veterans to open up has taken some time for those involved in this project, but many have stepped forward to tell their stories, especially the Vietnam veterans who sadly weren’t treated with the dignity and respect they earned upon returning to the states after serving their tours of duty.

It’s good to know that some who participated in this project are glad they did. Devine said it was good for his spirits to tell stories of his time in Vietnam and he made a very good point when he said you never know how much time you have.

That is one of many reasons telling stories from the war is so important.

Carol Mays Dillard, whose husband, former Capt. Ron Dillard, served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969, heard stories about the war on the drive from their home in Lebanon to Bowling Green that she had never heard the whole time they’ve been married.

Lowe talked about how a lot of second lieutenants didn’t make it back. Devine talked about helicopters being shot down and in many cases the pilots and crew were never found.

The stories of past wars and the soldiers who fought in them are one’s that need to be told. In total fairness, some veterans won’t come forward to tell their stories as long as they live. They have earned the right not to come forward and talk. That decision should be respected by all.

But those who have come forward should also be commended for putting themselves out there and opening up to others, with what could be very personal stories, so future generations can hear about and learn from those accounts.