UC Irvine Libraries host a variety of resources and research related to US military veterans, veterans’ affairs, military history, and related topics. To commemorate Veterans Day, this article gathers a partial list of available online resources, archival materials, and media as well as recent acquisitions that document the history and experiences of those who have served in the US armed forces.

Although some online materials are only accessible to faculty, staff, and students with a valid UCInetID, many of the resources are open to the public. All are available throughout the year as part of UC Irvine Libraries' ongoing effort to foster learning and increase access to a wide variety of scholarship.

For research help on these and related topics, contact Research Librarian for Social Sciences Nicole Carpenter or Research Librarian for History Nicole Arnold, or visit guides.lib.uci.edu for a complete list of the Libraries' Research Guides.

Streaming Media

• Iraq Paper Scissors: Documentary film featuring five Iraq War veterans struggling with posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) who sought ways to express themselves through their books and art. (Requires UCInetID login.)
• Service: When Women Come Marching Home: Documentary portraying women veterans as they transition from active duty to their civilian lives, from coping with amputations; to flashbacks, triggers, and depression; to ways to support other vets. (Docuseek, requires UCInetID login.)
• Not my Enemy: Weaving between a fictional narrative and real-life interviews with Vietnam veterans, documentary dance film follows Black men and their families, examining the nightmare of combat, the deeply psychological aftermath, and the effort to heal from these lifelong wounds. (Kweli.tv, requires UCInetID login.)
• Glass Ceiling: Conversation with three veterans who help service men and women overcome the challenge of transitioning back to civilian life, revealing the trials and tribulations of returning home after action. (AVON, requires UCInetID login.)

From short newsclips to feature-length documentaries, find thousands of more titles on a wide range of topics related to veterans and veterans’ affairs. Use search term “veterans” to locate related documentaries and other media on Docuseek, Kanopy, and Alexander Street (all require UCInetID login).

Databases and Online Resources

• Sociology Research Guide: The government section of this Libraries’ Research Guide includes links to news, research, and resources on veterans, military life, student veterans, and families of service members.
• Digital National Security Archive: Consists of curated and indexed, declassified government documents covering US policy on critical world events from 1945 to the present, including the military, intelligence, diplomacy, and human rights. Each collection features chronologies, glossaries, bibliographies, and scholarly overviews. (Requires UCInetID login.) 
• Journal of Veterans Studies: Topics include combat exposure, reintegration challenges, and the complex systems and institutions that shape the veteran experience.
• US Declassified Documents Online: Previously classified federal records spanning the twentieth and twenty-first centuries from the executive branch, Department of State, Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other executive agencies. This searchable database includes intelligence studies, policy papers, diplomatic correspondence, and military reports including World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Requires UCInetID login.)
• US Military Intelligence Reports, 1911–1944: Documentation on developments and events in the key nations of the world from the onset of World War I to the final campaigns of World War II. (Requires UCInetID login.)

Archival Materials

• Al and Charlotte S. Appel papers, 1936–2005, Orange County Regional History Collection, UC Irvine Libraries Special Collections and Archives: Documents various socialist and left-wing political parties and movements in Orange County, California, chiefly from 1965–1990. The collection also contains early materials from the Orange County Veterans for Peace, which Al Appel founded.
• Robert E. Badham Papers, 1962–1988, Orange County Regional History Collection, UC Irvine Libraries Special Collections and Archives: Includes records accumulated by Robert Badham during his 25 years of public service, including his terms in the California Assembly and US House of Representatives, where he served as the ranking Republican on the Procurement Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.
• Brad Brafford papers, 1971–2008, Orange County Regional History Collection, UC Irvine Libraries Special Collections and Archives: Comprised of files created by gay rights activist G.C. "Brad" Brafford. Brafford served in the US Navy until he was discharged in 1951 due to his sexual orientation and later went on to cofound the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County (The Center OC). Primarily focused on the 1972–1990s period, the collection includes materials related to the US military's “Don't Ask Don't Tell” policy on gay men and lesbians serving in the military.
• Orange County Holocaust Oral History Project, 1992–1995, UC Irvine Libraries Special Collections and Archives: Consists of 154 interviews conducted by the Orange County Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League with residents of Orange County, California, who experienced the Holocaust. In addition to interviews of Jewish Holocaust survivors, the collection includes five members of the US Army who saw the camps at the end of the war and three "rescuers" (individuals who aided Jews in their efforts to escape the Nazis).

Recent Acquisitions

• Black Veteranality: Military Service and the Illusion of Inclusive Patriotism, by Bryon L. Garner, 2026. Examines the intersection of race, patriotism, and military service as expressed through the experiences of Black service members. 
• Breaking Down Barriers: Getting Veterans ACCESS to Lifesaving Care, report from a hearing held by the House Subcommittee on Health, 2025. Discusses the difficulties of accessing healthcare services for veterans and potential improvements to medical and mental healthcare. 
• Healing Veteran Moral Injury: Using Metaphor and Story to Foster Hope and Connection, by Pat Pernicano and Kerry Haynes, 2025. Illustrates the power of stories and metaphors in helping veterans identify strategies for healing moral injury and posttraumatic growth.
• “Implementation of Mobile Medical Units for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Mixed-Methods Study,” by Jean Yoon et al., 2025. Examines the implementation of mobile medical units (MMUs) to provide healthcare services to veterans experiencing homelessness.

Diversity of UC Irvine Libraries’ Collections

UC Irvine Libraries collect materials in all formats to support the university’s research, teaching, and public service mission.

We believe it is crucial that our collections reflect the diversity of our students, faculty, staff, and larger Orange County community. Thus, we are making an effort to collect materials that consider the needs and perspectives of historically underrepresented, marginalized, and oppressed groups. For more information, please refer to our Diversity Statement and Plan.

For additional information about UC Irvine Libraries’ efforts to celebrate diversity in its users, staff, collections, and resources, visit the UC Irvine Libraries Diversity webpage.

* Communities and organizations continually change how they identify. For clarity and historical context, the original names of resources have been used in this article.