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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
Retired Marine Corps fighter pilot and acclaimed military historian Jay A. Stout presents a gripping account of the U.S. Army Air Forces’ pivotal role in the fight for New Guinea during World War II. In his presentation, based on his book Savage Skies, Emerald Hell, Stout details the brutal and often overlooked air war waged over the island’s treacherous terrain and unforgiving climate. Drawing on extensive primary research and his own combat aviation experience, he shares firsthand narratives from pilots and support crews, particularly from George Kenney’s Fifth Air Force, who battled both the Japanese and the harsh natural environment in support of General Douglas MacArthur’s campaign to reclaim the Pacific. The talk highlights the strategic importance of New Guinea, the challenges of jungle and ocean warfare, and the courage of the men who flew and maintained the aircraft that helped turn the tide in the Pacific theater.
In this presentation, Tim Brady tells the remarkable and little-known true story of how the people of Denmark united during World War II to defy Nazi persecution and rescue nearly all of the country’s Jewish population. Drawing from his latest work, Brady recounts the gripping events of 1943, when Danish citizens, from student activists and fishermen to scientists like Niels Bohr, risked everything to ferry their Jewish neighbors across the treacherous Øresund Strait to neutral Sweden. This presentation explores the bold resistance efforts, acts of sabotage, and extraordinary moral courage that enabled Denmark to save 95% of its Jewish population, an unparalleled feat in occupied Europe. Through riveting firsthand accounts and historical insight, Brady reveals how a small nation stood up to tyranny with quiet determination and collective resolve.
Stephen Platt presents the remarkable life of Evans Carlson, a forgotten but pivotal figure in U.S. military history and commander of America’s first special operations force. Drawing on newly uncovered letters and diaries, The Raider offers a deeply researched account of Carlson’s unconventional career, from battling Sandinistas in Nicaragua to living alongside Mao’s Communist guerillas in China, whose tactics and philosophy would inspire the creation of the Marine Raiders. Platt traces Carlson’s idealistic efforts to bridge U.S.–China relations, his introduction of the term “gung ho” into American culture, and his fall from grace during the McCarthy era, offering a vivid portrait of a soldier-philosopher who challenged military orthodoxy and reshaped the future of American warfare.
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.
