Former West Richland resident Jason Alves will be joining other military veterans from the Northwest in Washington, D.C., on Veterans Day to share their experiences.

The 26-year-old, who is a student at the University of Oregon in Eugene, is director of The Telling Project, a 22-minute performance in which veterans tell about how they served America and what it meant to them.

The entourage, which includes six veterans from universities in Eugene and Portland, will perform before first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden's wife Jill at a Veterans Day event in the nation's capital.

They will participate in Mission Serve: Forging a Continuum of Service, which recognizes civilian and military partnerships in national service.

Alves said The Telling Project originated at the University of Oregon when veterans and their families formed an association and began sharing experiences. Their stories caught the attention of some creative writers at the university, who helped shape them for a theatrical presentation.

Alves, who spent four years aboard the USS Kitty Hawk after graduating from Hanford High School in Richland, was a cast member in the first Telling Project group. He has become the project director.

Alves said ServiceNation, in partnership with Blue Star Families and Student Veterans of America, is sponsoring the Veterans Day performance of The Telling Project at George Washington University.

MTV veejay Sway will emcee the event and Alma Powell, wife of Gen. Colin Powell, will be presented with the Award for Excellence in National Service on behalf of ServiceNation.

The performance can be viewed by streaming video at 11 a.m. Wednesday at www.servicenation.org.

For more information about The Telling Project, go to http://thetellingproject.org.

-- John Trumbo: 582-1529; jtrumbo@tricityherald.com