RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Library of Virginia is asking World War II veterans and their families to share diaries, correspondence and other materials to keep alive the memories of what some call the "Greatest Generation."

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The Richmond trove of Virginia history has launched a program to collect those materials. Often veterans, their spouses and children store those mementoes in an attic or basement and forget them. Librarian of Virginia Sandra Gioia Treadway says the collection effort is an attempt to document the experiences of the 300,000 state residents who served during World War II.

She said many World War II veterans are "passing from the scene." She said it's important to preserve those documents for future generations. Approximately 11,000 Virginians never returned home from the war.