Friends of the National World War II Memorial

Monthly Virtual Education Conference Series

October 2020 – March 2021
10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET

Next Conference: Saturday, January 16

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Friends of the National World War II Memorial Presents a Monthly Virtual Education Conference Series on teaching the lessons of yesterday to unite the generations of tomorrow.

Please join Friends of the National World War II Memorial monthly, from October to March, for our new virtual education conference series to learn more about the spirit of unity and shared purpose that defined the character of our country during World War II.

Friends’ new conference series will feature monthly one-day virtual conferences — from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET — beginning on Saturday, October 24, 2020 and will continue on the third Saturday of each month after, through March 20, 2021.

Register today for free to join this unique digital experience covering a range of topics and hear from educators, World War II veterans, and published authors.

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Saturday, January 16

The Asia-Pacific War and the Japanese-American experience.

10:00AM to 10:50AM (ET)

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The USS Houston

John Schwarz

John Schwarz is the son of a WWII Navy-man, survivor, and POW. He dedicates a large portion of life to perpetuating the memory and legacy of the men of the USS Houston CA-30. He is a retired career U.S.Postal Service employee and currently serves as Executive Director of the USS Houston (CA-30) Survivors’ Association and Next Generations® (usshouston.org).

This presentation is the real story from a man who survived the sinking of the USS Houston CA-30 on March 1, 1942, and spent the remainder of WWII as a POW, including a 13-month stint used as a slave laborer on the “Death Railway” depicted in the movie “Bridge on the River Kwai.”

11:00AM to 11:50AM (ET)

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A War Orphan’s Journey

Janice Powers

Janice Powers is a writer, illustrator, and gardener. Inspired by her own gardens, family, and local community, her books, prints, and note cards depict a personal view of life in the Midwest, where she has lived and created her whole life. She has recently authored the memoir “Pieces of Us,” a tribute to her father, Leonard J. Crandell, a World War II Pilot.
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The memoir chronicles a war orphan’s journey to unearth the story of a father she never knew, a B-24 Pilot who was killed in action in March of 1945. After seven decades lived in the silence of the war’s aftermath, Janice Powers finally sought, discovered, and documented the real relationship that had been missing her whole life.

12:00PM to 1:15PM (ET)

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FDR's 1944 D-Day Prayer

Lee Ann Potter and Jeff Urbin

Lee Ann Potter is the Director of Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives at the Library of Congress. She leads a dynamic team committed to developing educational programs and materials based on primary sources.

Jeff Urbin is the Education Director at the Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. He is responsible for all educational programming and materials for audiences ranging from second grade to adult learners.

This presentation will explore the significance and meaning of FDR's historic 1944 D-Day Prayer utilizing primary sources and research from the Library of Congress and the Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

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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.

With additional support from the U.S. Department of Defense.