FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL INC

EDUCATION:IN 2024, FRIENDS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES. TO THIS END, FRIENDS HOSTED ITS NINTH ANNUAL FRIENDS OF THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL TEACHERS NETWORK AND CONFERENCE. IT WAS A VERY FULL AND PRODUCTIVE WEEK, ATTENDED BY 30 EDUCATORS REPRESENTING 14 STATES. CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED DAILY PRESENTATIONS AND TOURS BY ENGAGING PRESENTERS AND GUIDES, INCLUDING FRIENDS' RESIDENT HISTORIAN ALEX KERSHAW, AND A REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY AT THE WWII MEMORIAL. DOZENS MORE EDUCATORS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY, AND VIDEOS OF THE PRESENTATIONS AND TOURS ARE ARCHIVED ON FRIENDS' WEBSITE (WWW.WWIIMEMORIALFRIENDS.ORG).IN 2024, 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 2024 (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 MAY 2024 AND TO THE NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, LUXEMBOURG, AND GERMANY IN SEPTEMBER 2024.THE EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE JACK C. TAYLOR / ENTERPRISE RENT-ACAR WWII MEMORIAL EDUCATION ENDOWMENT.

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 2024 COMMEMORATIONS INCLUDED A SPECIAL CEREMONY MARKING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS MARKING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARIES OF THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY AND THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. AS PART OF THE 80TH COMMEMORATIONS, NAMES OF ALL THOSE KILLED DURING THOSE BATTLES WERE READ BY VOLUNTEERS AT THE NEWLY RESTORED CIRCLE OF REMEMBRANCE, NEXT TO THE NEWLY INSTALLED FDR D-DAY PRAYER. THE CEREMONIES ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.FRIENDS PRESENTED THE 2024 BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES E. MCGEE UNITY AWARD TO CONGRESSWOMAN KAPTUR, THE LONGEST-SERVING WOMAN IN CONGRESSIONAL HISTORY, FOR HER UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO ESTABLISHING THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL ON THE NATIONAL MALL AND HER CONTINUED EFFORTS TO PRESERVE THE NATIONAL MEMORY OF WORLD WAR II. 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".