X
Friends of the National World War II Memorial presents a Monthly Conference Series to learn more about the spirit of unity and shared purpose that defined the character of our country during World War II. This series of monthly half-day virtual conferences features discussions with WWII veterans, war orphans, published authors, and other experts.
Register today, for free, to join this unique digital experience.
September - April
Third Saturday Monthly
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET
Author Michael Benson will discuss Hollywood vs. Nazis, examining Nazi efforts to influence the American film industry after Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 and the response of Hollywood’s Jewish studio leaders. The presentation will explore how figures including Adolph Zukor, Sam Goldwyn, David O. Selznick, and the Warner brothers financed a clandestine operation to infiltrate pro-Nazi organizations in Southern California and counter their activities. Benson will place this decade-long effort in the context of propaganda, antisemitism, and the film industry’s role in shaping public opinion before and during World War II.
Peter J. Ortiz’s service behind enemy lines in occupied France offers a window into the Allied intelligence operations that supported the French Resistance during World War II. In this presentation, Ortiz’s War co-authors Nicholas Reynolds and Katie S. Sanders trace his unconventional path from the French Foreign Legion to the U.S. Marine Corps and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). They examine his missions to train and supply Resistance fighters, gather intelligence, sabotage German infrastructure, and assist downed Allied airmen, as well as his decision to surrender at Centron to protect its residents from German reprisals. Reynolds brings experience as a Marine and CIA historian, while Sanders has a personal connection to the story: Ortiz helped rescue her grandfather after his plane was shot down over France.
The August 1, 1943, low-level American bombing raid on the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, brought together people on opposing sides of World War II in unexpected ways. Drawing on his book Tidal Wave, Adam Makos examines the raid and its aftermath through the experiences of American B-24 pilot Ernie Poulson, Romanian fighter ace Constantin Cantacuzino, Princess Catherine Caradja, and King Michael of Romania. The presentation explores Romania’s position as a German ally, efforts to resist Nazi influence from within the country, and the relationships that developed across enemy lines as American airmen and Romanian civilians confronted questions of loyalty, survival, and escape.
The Friends of the National World War II Memorial’s education programs are generously supported by the Jack C. Taylor / Enterprise Rent-A-Car WWII Memorial Education Endowment.
