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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
Robert M. Edsel, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Monuments Men, presents Remember Us, his new work of narrative history that explores the human cost of freedom during World War II through the experiences of ordinary people in the Dutch province of Limburg. Beginning with the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1940 and culminating in the region’s liberation in 1944, Edsel follows a diverse cast, from civilians like teenager Frieda van Schäik to soldiers such as Medal of Honor recipient Robert Cole and African American serviceman Jeff Wiggins, whose stories reveal the courage, suffering, and resilience of those caught in war’s upheaval. Drawing from letters, diaries, and previously unseen records, Edsel portrays the enduring bonds between the Dutch and their liberators while reflecting on the shared humanity that transcends national and racial divides.
Francelle Bradford White shares the remarkable true story of her mother, Andrée Griotteray, a courageous young woman who risked everything as a member of the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris. At just nineteen, Andrée used her position in the passport office to forge identity papers and aid Jewish citizens in escaping persecution, later serving as a secret courier delivering intelligence across France. Despite betrayal and arrest, she refused to reveal her comrades and returned to her underground work after her release. Drawing from diaries, letters, and family memories, The Paris Girl offers an intimate portrait of extraordinary bravery, resilience, and the quiet heroism of women whose actions shaped the course of history.
Bestselling author and historian Bruce Henderson recounts the extraordinary, long-classified story of Operation Carpetbagger, a daring World War II mission in which volunteer American airmen flew low level night runs over Nazi-occupied France to deliver supplies, weapons, and secret agents to the French Resistance. Operating from a covert airfield in England under the OSS - the precursor to the CIA, these B-24 crews risked everything to support underground fighters ahead of the Allied invasion. Drawing on original research and firsthand interviews, Henderson’s Midnight Flyboys brings to life the courage, ingenuity, and sacrifice of these unsung heroes whose covert efforts helped turn the tide of the war.
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.
