SAN DIEGO -- Thomas Smith, 18, is recording history one videotape at a time.

"I think it's an important thing to do, to respect them and honor them," said Smith.

Smith has been taping veteran recollections to be saved for posterity.

Four years ago, he started the San Diego chapter of "Stories of Service" for the Library of Congress.

"It's something that you can never forget," said Smith.

World War II veteran John Marroquin, 86, is one of 36 veterans Smith has documented.

"What he's doing is really great, because this generation should know what the old generation went through," said Marroquin.

Smith said, "It's a living memorial for them. It's not a stone wall with names on it. These are movies you can actually watch and see them and you can feel what they felt."

"The people that I loved, that I lost, the things that I saw that were horrible," said Marroquin.

Smith edits the footage into 3- to 4-minute movies on the veteran's life and sends them with the full interview to the Library of Congress to be viewed there or placed online.

"(I have done) about three-dozen movies myself, and have mentored about three-dozen students making movies," said Smith.

Smith said the movies are about a generation whose sacrifice should not be forgotten.