WASHINGTON (AP) — The oral history group StoryCorps has begun recording stories of U.S. troops returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan for a yearlong initiative to be broadcast on NPR.

The Military Voices Initiative aims to record 1,500 interviews, collaborating with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, military bases and military family groups. NPR’s “Weekend Edition” will regularly broadcast the stories beginning this weekend.

Dave Isay, founder of New York-based StoryCorps, says listening to soldiers is a way to show how much they matter and to ensure they aren’t forgotten.

NPR President and CEO Gary Knell says the stories will help people understand the impact of the recent wars.

The recordings will be archived at the Library of Congress. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Boeing Co. are funding the project.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)