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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. New York Times best-selling author and Friends' Resident Historian Alex Kershaw moderates the discussions after each presentation.
Register today, for free, to join this unique digital experience.
September - April
Third Saturday Monthly
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET
In this presentation, Western Sydney University historian Peter Mauch will discuss his recent book, Tojo: The Rise and Fall of Japan’s Most Controversial World War II General, offering a nuanced reexamination of the military leader who became Emperor Hirohito’s prime minister. Moving beyond Tojo Hideki’s ultimate legacy as an executed war criminal, Mauch explores his forty-year career as a complex military statesman, savvy administrator, and deeply loyal imperial advisor. The talk will trace Tojo’s ascent through the ranks of the Imperial Army, from his pivotal role with the Kwantung Army during the Sino-Japanese War to his mastery of internal military rivalries, detailing how his fierce imperialism and tactical efficiency allowed him to dominate Japan’s policymaking processes until his precipitous downfall at the end of World War II.
Drawing on his extensive background in modern conflict history, author and historian Iain MacGregor explores the decade-long journey that culminated in the August 6, 1945, atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Based on his recent book, The Hiroshima Men, MacGregor's talk traces the development and deployment of the bomb through the interconnected experiences of key figures, including Manhattan Project director General Leslie Groves, B-29 pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr., Hiroshima Mayor Senkichi Awaya, and journalist John Hersey. By expanding the narrative lens from the strategic corridors of Washington and the testing grounds of New Mexico to include crucial Japanese perspectives from the ground, he provides a comprehensive, human-centered analysis of the geopolitical decisions, the weapon's devastating deployment, and its profound historical aftermath.
Public historian and veteran broadcast journalist Dan Hurley explores the profound personal transformations of World War II service through the lens of 720 letters written home by his father, Irwin Hurley. Drafted in 1942, Irwin's worldview as a middle-class Catholic from the Cincinnati suburbs was upended when he was assigned as a lieutenant to the 3659th Quartermaster Truck Company, a unit comprised of 130 African American soldiers from the Deep South led by a Jewish captain. Drawing on his extensive background in public history, including his leadership roles with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Dan Hurley will detail how his father's extensive wartime correspondence documents a stark awakening to the brutal realities of American segregation, the irony of a marginalized, multiethnic American force guarding surrendered Nazi troops, and a harrowing confrontation with the Holocaust during the liberation of Dachau.
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.
