Friends Of The National World War Ii Memorial Inc

TEACHING THE LESSONS OF YESTERDAY TO UNITE THE GENERATIONS OF TOMORROW.

EDUCATION:IN 2023, FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL CONTINUED TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES. TO THIS END, FRIENDS HOSTED ITS EIGHTH ANNUAL FRIENDS OF THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL TEACHERS NETWORK AND CONFERENCE--- THE FIRST IN-PERSON CONFERENCE SINCE 2019. IT WAS A VERY FULL AND PRODUCTIVE WEEK, ATTENDED BY 29 EDUCATORS REPRESENTING 16 STATES. CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED DAILY PRESENTATIONS AND TOURS BY ENGAGING PRESENTERS AND GUIDES, INCLUDING FRIENDS' RESIDENT HISTORIAN ALEX KERSHAW; VISITS WITH AND PERSONAL DISCUSSIONS WITH WORLD WAR II VETERANS HARRY MILLER AND GEORGE ARNSTEIN; AND BREAKFAST WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND STAFF. DOZENS MORE EDUCATORS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY, AND VIDEOS OF THE PRESENTATIONS AND TOURS ARE ARCHIVED ON FRENDS' WEBSITE. IN 2023, FRIENDS CONTINUED TO HOST A MONTHLY VIRTUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE SERIES TO TEACH THE LESSONS OF YESTERDAY TO UNITE THE GENERATIONS OF TOMORROW. THE SERIES, FEATURING DISCUSSIONS WITH WORLD WAR II VETERANS, EDUCATORS, PUBLISHED AUTHORS, AND OTHER EXPERTS ON A RANGE OF TOPICS, IS HELD ON THE THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH. FRIENDS HELD EIGHT MONTHLY VIRTUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCES IN 2022 (JANUARY-APRIL AND SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER).FRIENDS CONTINUED TO COORDINATE IN-PERSON HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS BY AUTHOR, HISTORIAN, AND STORYTELLER ALEX KERSHAW SHARING HEART-STOPPING STORIES ABOUT THOSE WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR II AND CHALLENGING STUDENTS TO ASK THEMSELVES THE SAME HARD QUESTIONS THAT CONFRONTED THEIR FOREBEARS.FRIENDS HOSTED INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TOURS, GUIDED BY RESIDENT HISTORIAN ALEX KERSHAW, TO LONDON, NORMANDY, AND PARIS IN JUNE 2023 AND TO ITALY IN OCTOBER 2023.THE EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE JACK C. TAYLOR / ENTERPRISE RENT-ACAR WWII MEMORIAL EDUCATION ENDOWMENT, HIGHLIGHTED BY A $1 MILLION MATCHING CHALLENGE GRANT IN 2023.

LEGACY LECTURE:ON NOVEMBER 8H, FRIENDS HELD THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL HAYDN WILLIAMS WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL LEGACY LECTURE AT THE NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY. AUTHOR JAMES M. SCOTT DELIVERED A LECTURE TITLED, JIMMY DOOLITTLE AND THE RAID THAT RALLIED A NATION, WHICH EXPLORED THE APRIL 18, 1942 MISSION WHEN EIGHTY VOLUNTEER AIRMEN UNDER THE COMMAND OF LT. COL. JIMMY DOOLITTLE LIFTED OFF FROM THE DECK OF THE CARRIER HORNET FOR A STRIKE ON THE JAPANESE CAPITAL OF TOKYO. A VIRTUAL SUICIDE MISSION, THE RAID HELPED RALLY A SHELL-SHOCKED NATION AND JUMPSTARTED JAPAN ON THE ROAD TO RUIN. THE HAYDN WILLIAMS WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL LEGACY LECTURE IS AN ANNUAL PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES THAT FEATURES PREEMINENT HISTORIANS AND OTHER EXPERTS SPEAKING ON THE LASTING SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF WORLD WAR II ON AMERICA AND THE WORLD.

COMMEMORATIVE:IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, FRIENDS HAS THE LEAD RESPONSIBILITY IN PLANNING, STAGING, AND FUNDING FIVE MAJOR NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS AT THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL ON VE DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, VJ DAY, VETERANS DAY, AND PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY. IN ADDITION, FRIENDS ANNUALLY HOSTS A D-DAY COMMEMORATION. THE CEREMONIES ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.FRIENDS PRESENTED THE 2023 BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES E. MCGEE UNITY AWARD TO AWARDWINNING DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, AND SCREENWRITER STEVEN SPIELBERG FOR HIS INSPIRATIONAL STORYTELLING AND PHILANTHROPY AS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THE SPIRIT OF UNITY AND CHARACTER OF OUR GREATEST GENERATION AT WORK. THE ANNUAL AWARD IS NAMED FOR THE LATE RETIRED AIR FORCE BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES E. MCGEE, WHO EMBODIED AND LIVED BY THE HIGHEST AMERICAN IDEALS DURING HIS 102 YEARS. THE UNITY AWARD IS A SIGNIFICANT RECOGNITION OF AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP ACTIVELY WORKING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND AND FOR LIVING UP TO THE MORAL INTEGRITY ESPOUSED BY GENERAL MCGEE AND HIS FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE "GREATEST GENERATION".

PRESERVATION:BEGINNING IN 2014, FRIENDS LED THE EFFORT TO ADD PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT'S "D-DAY PRAYER", ONE OF THE LARGEST MASS PRAYERS IN HISTORY, TO THE WWII MEMORIAL AND TO RESTORE THE "CIRCLE OF REMEMBRANCE" THE AREA WHERE THE PRAYER HAS BEEN PLACED. FORMER SENATOR ROB PORTMAN INTRODUCED THE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION, THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL PRAYER ACT, WHICH DIRECTED THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO INSTALL A PLAQUE AT OR NEAR THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. INSCRIBED WITH THE WORDS OF THE PRAYER THAT PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SHARED WITH THE NATION ON D-DAY, JUNE 6, 1944. THE LEGISLATION STIPULATED THAT NO FEDERAL FUNDS COULD BE USED TO IMPLEMENT THIS DIRECTIVE. THEREFORE, FRIENDS TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DESIGNING AND FUNDING THE PROJECT AT THE REQUEST OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. THE PROJECT'S DESIGN, BY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FIRM OEHME, VAN SWEDEN & ASSOCIATES (OVS), RECEIVED ITS FINAL APPROVAL FROM THE COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS IN JANUARY 2022. THANKS TO THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF LILLY ENDOWMENT INC., CONSTRUCTION BEGAN ON-SITE IN JULY 2022. GRUNLEY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.SERVED AS THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR THE PROJECT. SITE WORK WAS COMPLETED IN LATE-APRIL 2023. THE JUNE 6, 2023 DEDICATION OF THE FDR D-DAY PRAYER PLAQUE AND THE NEWLY RESTORED CIRCLE OF REMEMBRANCE FEATURED REMARKS BY SENATOR PORTMAN AND A KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY ELLIOTT "TOBY" ROOSEVELT III, THE GREAT-GRANDSON OF FRANKLIN AND ELEANOR ROOSEVELT. AS PART OF THE CEREMONY, WWII VETERANS AND OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS PRESENTED WREATHS IN MEMORY OF THE 9,000 ALLIED SOLDIERS KILLED OR WOUNDED DURING THE INVASION. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AND MEANINGFUL ADDITION THAT COMPLETES THE MEMORIAL, WHICH IS VISITED BY NEARLY FIVE MILLION PEOPLE EACH YEAR, PROVIDING A CONTEMPLATIVE SPACE TO REFLECT ON AND REMEMBER THE MORE THAN 400,000 AMERICAN SOULS LOST DURING WWII.IN 2023, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNITED STATES MINT, FRIENDS UNVEILED THE DESIGNS FOR THE 2024 GREATEST GENERATION COMMEMORATIVE COINS. THE GREATEST GENERATION COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT, SIGNED INTO LAW ON AUGUST 3, 2022, AUTHORIZES THE U.S. TREASURY TO MINT COINS IN 2024, COMMEMORATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL. PROCEEDS FROM COIN SALES WILL SUPPORT THE MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING OF THE MEMORIAL. THE COINS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM THE U.S. MINT, BEGINNING IN LATE-FEBRUARY 2024 AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.