War Machine: Propaganda in a World at War examines the role of aviation and influence during wartime. This weekend focuses on World War I and II, and the Vietnam War including the Museum's Project Welcome Home panel discussion of veteran Vietnam bomber, fighter and helicopter pilots. The programs include aircraft tours, living history performances, and lectures from artists, authors, veterans and museum curators. Special guests include artists James Dietz and Thom Ross, authors David Bly and Edward E. Gordon historian/author of the newly released Divided on D-Day: How Conflicts and Rivalries Jeopardized the Allied Victory at Normandy. Planned partners include Distinguished Flying Cross Society, Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, Holocaust Center for Humanity, Living Voices, and Dogs on Deployment.
Saturday, November 4
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Community Partner Exhibits
Distinguished Flying Cross Society, Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, Holocaust Center for Humanity, and Dogs on Deployment
11:00 AM
Living Voices World War I Performance: Northwest Passages
12:00 PM
Tip-to-Tail Tour: Sopwith Camel
1:00 PM
World War I – Endure the Dawn
Lecture and book signing with author David Bly. Bly will present an overview of World War I aviation as depicted in his novel about the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Endure the Dawn.
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Living History Characters
2:00 PM
The Vietnam War - Perspectives from Air Combat Veterans
Moderated by Jim Conner of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society, the panel features Vietnam War veteran bomber, fighter and helicopter pilots, one of whom was shot down in 1966 and spent six years as a prisoner of war. Panelists include:
Mike Brown – Served two tours in Vietnam. Brown saw combat during the Tet Offensive of 1968, and piloted a Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter during the North Vietnamese Spring Offensive of 1972.
Dave Cable - Cable flew 100 missions over North Vietnam from the USS Enterprise as an A-6 Intruder pilot during Operation Rolling Thunder in 1966-1967. He also flew in an historic strike when mines were laid for the first time from a jet aircraft.
Joe Crecca – Crecca flew McDonnell F-4C Phantoms during the air strikes of Operation Rolling Thunder near Hanoi. He was shot down in 1966 and spent 6 years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi's Hoa Lo Prison.
Jim Farmer – Farmer was a Strategic Air Command B-52 bomber pilot. On his second rotation of duty, he was shot down during Operation Linebacker II in 1972, was rescued and completed two more rotations.
2:30 PM
Living Voices World War I Performance - Northwest Passages
War Machine Weekend Evening Event:
Explaining Hitler and the Rise of the Third Reich
Saturday, November 4, 5:30 PM
Evening Reception, Lecture and Book Signing with Historian and Author Edward E. Gordon
The economic and political conditions at the time of Hitler’s rise were key to enabling him to seize the reins of power in Germany. This program will particularly focus on how Hitler, with the help of Joseph Goebbels, masterfully turned a wide variety of mass media into a propaganda machine to win over the German people. The monstrous Nazi criminal regime continued its domination using terror, tyranny, and lies.
Edward E. Gordon is the author or co-author of 19 books in the fields of history, business, and education. He has been quoted in or written over 300 articles and has appeared on the CBS The Early Show, PBS News Hour, CNN, NBC, Bloomberg TV, WGN, NPR, and USA Radio.
Event Schedule:
5:30 to 6:00 PM - Reception with Ed Gordon (Personal Courage Wing WWII Gallery)
6:00 PM - Introduction with opening remarks from the Holocaust Center for Humanity
6:15 to 7:30 PM - Lecture/ Q & A
7:30 to 8:00 PM - Book Signing
Tickets: $5 Members | $10 General Public
Evening Event Tickets available now!
Sunday, November 5
9:00 - 10:00 AM - Museum Member Event
Canvas and Wood: An Artist’s View of World War I
Lecture and Tour with James Dietz; Artist James Dietz talks about his exhibit of paintings on view in the Great Gallery. This is a Museum Member event.
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Community Partner Exhibits
Distinguished Flying Cross Society, Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, Holocaust Center for Humanity, and Dogs on Deployment
11:00 AM
Living Voices World War II Performance - Within the Silence
12:00 PM
Docent Tip-to-Tail Tour of the P-51 Mustang
1:00 PM
Warheads and Wonder: Displaying Controversial Military Objects
Lecture with Justin Spielmann, Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum, Valerie Johnson, Naval Undersea Museum, and Becca Harmsen, Museum of Flight
2:00 PM
World War I - Passion and Perspective
Artist Thom Ross will present a series of contemporary paintings which focus on the young men who fought in the skies over Europe during World War I.
3:00 PM
Living Voices World War II Performance - Within the Silence
