24 Thoughtful Questions to Ask Veterans About Their Service
- StoriedLife Team
- Nov 13
- 5 min read
Every veteran carries a story that deserves to be remembered, stories of courage, sacrifice, humor, and humanity (no matter how long they served). But when the time finally comes to sit down with them, many of us don’t know where to start. What do you ask? How do you ask it respectfully? What if they don’t want to talk about certain memories?
That’s why people often search for questions to ask veterans, not because they’re looking for a script, but because they want to connect in a way that honors someone’s service without overstepping. Whether you’re preparing an interview for Veterans Day, capturing a family member’s memories, or working on a legacy project, asking the right questions helps turn moments into meaningful stories.
This guide shares questions designed to do exactly that!
Preparing for an Interview with a Veteran
Before starting any interviews with veterans, focus on setting the right tone. Choose a quiet, comfortable space where they feel relaxed, and let them know what you plan to talk about so they aren’t caught off guard. Have what you need ready (a recorder, notebook, or camera) and ask for permission before using it, as some don’t like to be filmed or recorded.
If a veteran seems uncomfortable or chooses not to answer, don’t press. Change the subject, offer a lighter question, or take a short break. The goal is connection, and some memories are just best left unspoken.
Veteran interview questions are most meaningful when asked with patience, care, and a genuine interest in understanding their experience.
Good Questions to Ask Veterans
Veterans carry a lifetime of experiences that deserve to be remembered. The right questions help uncover those memories, from their first days in service to the lessons they still carry today.
Here are six categories of questions to guide your conversation:
1. Questions About Joining the Military
Every story has a beginning, and for veterans, it often starts with a choice. These questions about the military explore what motivated them to serve and how their journey began. They reveal the beliefs, emotions, and circumstances that shaped their decision, and offer a glimpse into who they were before the uniform.
Ask:
Why did you decide to join the military?
Did you enlist or were you drafted?
What were your thoughts and emotions before leaving home?
How did your family react?
These army questions to ask open the door to deeper conversations about purpose, courage, and identity, helping you understand the “why” behind their story.
2. Training and First Impressions of Service
The shift from civilian life to military life is often one of the most defining parts of a veteran’s story. These questions military interviewers use help uncover the emotions, lessons, and memories that came with that transition.
Ask:
What was basic training like?
Was it what you expected?
What lessons or habits from training still stick with you?
Did you make any close friends early on?
You can also include a few funny questions to ask military members, as lighthearted moments from boot camp or early service often reveal personality and camaraderie. But make sure to keep the humor respectful and let them lead the way, jokes and memories often come up naturally when they feel relaxed.
3. Questions About Deployment and Daily Life
People claim that deployment defines a veteran’s experience more than any other stage of service. These help uncover the rhythm of daily life, the duties, friendships, and small moments that made each day memorable.
Ask:
Where were you stationed or deployed?
What did a typical day look like?
How did you stay connected to home?
Were there moments that felt especially meaningful or difficult?
These war veteran interview questions show the human side of service, not just where they were or what they did, but how they felt while doing it. Each military question gives space for reflection, and many reveal the bonds and experiences that stay long after service ends.
4. Questions About Returning Home and Civilian Life
Life after service can bring new challenges, changes, and opportunities for growth. These veterans interview questions focus on the transition from military structure to civilian life, a shift that often reshapes priorities, relationships, and identity.
Ask:
What was the hardest part about returning home?
Did you stay in touch with your military friends?
How did your service change your outlook on life?
What advice would you give to younger soldiers returning today?
5. Questions About Legacy and Reflection
This final stage of an interview brings the most meaningful answers. It’s where veterans look back on their experiences, share what they’ve learned, and reflect on how service shaped who they are today.
Ask:
How do you hope your service is remembered?
What lessons do you want future generations to learn from your experience?
Are there any memories or people you think about often?
What does Veterans Day mean to you personally?
These thoughtful questions to ask veterans, especially around Veterans Day or anniversaries, help reveal the heart of their story. They’re not just about events, but about values, legacy, and how their service continues to live on.
And you can preserve these stories with StoriedLife so that they are never forgotten, all within minutes.
6. Vietnam War & Generational Questions
Each generation of service members carries a different story. For those who served in Vietnam, their experiences were often shaped by both the war itself and the world waiting for them afterward. These questions help uncover what that time meant to them personally and historically.
Ask:
What do you remember most vividly about your time in Vietnam?
How did the war change your view of the world?
How did public perception affect your return home?
You can also include broader questions to ask Vietnam veterans from other conflicts or peacekeeping missions to compare how military life and public attitudes have changed over time. Thoughtful questions to ask a Vietnam veteran, like these, highlight the resilience and perspective that come from decades of reflection.
How to Turn an Interview into a Legacy
Asking questions for veterans is only the beginning. What truly matters is how those answers are preserved! Each story shared carries emotion, meaning, and a glimpse into a life shaped by service.
Whether you record the conversation, write it down, or create a keepsake video, the goal is the same: to turn memories into something lasting. With StoriedLife, you can transform these interviews into memoirs, digital archives, or family keepsakes that protect every detail of a veteran’s journey.
Even the simplest memories hold value. Those good questions to ask someone in the military, about courage, friendship, or personal growth, become the foundation of a legacy when they’re recorded with care.
Capture a veteran’s story with StoriedLife, because when we record their stories, we keep their spirit alive for generations.
Conclusion: Every Story Deserves to Be Remembered
These aren’t just questions for veterans, they’re a bridge to understanding, gratitude, and connection. Each story shared gives us a glimpse into the strength, sacrifice, and humanity behind military service.
This Veterans Day, take the time to interview a veteran, ask about their journey, their lessons, and the moments that shaped them. Even simple questions about the army can open conversations that mean more than you expect.
Every answer brings their story to life, and every story deserves to be remembered. Start recording their memories today with StoriedLife, and preserve their legacy for generations to come (you won’t regret it)!
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