2019-20 SCHEDULE

We meet at 7:00pm on the second Tuesday of every month from September through May at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, unless otherwise noted below:

September 10, 2019 ANZIO BREAKOUT  –  The Battle of Aprilia Flint Whitlock, Author of Desperate Valour, and veterans of Italian campaign, will discuss the difficult conditions and fierce resistance that were overcome before final victory. (PDF) (YouTube)

October 8, 2019  DIPLOMACY FOR THE ATOMIC BOMB Philip Padgett, author of Advocating OVERLORD, will explore the evolution of conflict between the Allies to develop the A-Bomb, and how the resolution led to success of D-Day. (PDF) (YouTube)

October 22, 2019 Program Cancelled
(801/492 Bomb Group Reunion held October 21-24 at DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington.)

November 12, 2019 THE DR. HAROLD C. DEUTSCH LECTURE – DIFFICULTIES OF COALITION WARFARE Dr Mark Stoler, author of Allies and Adversaries, will explore the struggle between commands and staffs of the Allied forces to achieve victory with coalition warfare. (PDF) (YouTube)

December 10, 2019 RELIEF IN THE BULGE — THE 7th ARMORED DIVISION COUNTERATTACK — 75th Anniversary. Dr Greg Fontenot, author of Loss and Redemption at St Vith, and veterans of the battle, will discuss the defense and disputed aspects of intelligence and final victory. (PDF) (YouTube)

January 14, 2020  EVOLUTION OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY Dr Bruce Menning, author of upcoming Russian Army and First World War and the classic Bayonets before Bullets, will discuss the turmoil of WWI as it led into WWII. (PDF) (YouTube)

February 11, 2020 RETURN TO THE PHILIPPINES – THE BATTLE OF MANILA James Scott, Author of Rampage, and veterans will discuss the MacArthur pledge to return, and the bloody urban fighting in Manila that resulted from the Japanese defense. (PDF) (YouTube)

March 10, 2020  OPERATION VARSITY – 75th ANNIVERSARY James Fenelon, author of Four Hours of Fury, and veterans of the invasion will discuss the largest airborne operation during WWII into Germany in crossing the Rhine River at Wesel. (PDF) (YouTube)

March 24, 2020 CANCELLED DUE TO MNHS CLOSURE, program tentatively rescheduled for November, 2020 . . . .
(THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR EISENHOWER Dr Daniel Crosswell, Author of Beetle, will present the contributions of Bedell Smith in guiding the difficult orchestration of the Allied forces to achieve victory in Europe. )

April 9, 2020 (THUR)CANCELLED DUE TO MNHS CLOSURE, currently no reschedule set . . . .    THE FIRST AMERICAN TANK BATTLES OF WWII — DEFENSE OF THE PHILIPPINES  Don Caldwell, author of Thunder on Bataan, and veterans of the Pacific War, will discuss the valiant effort of the National Guard 192nd and 194th Tank Battalions to hold off attacks.

May 12, 2020 — CANCELLED DUE TO MNHS CLOSURE, currently no reschedule set . . . . REMEMBERING THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF V-E DAY Steve Harding, author of The Last Battle, and veterans of the final days of War in Europe, will discuss the idea of the last redoubt and climactic end of WWII in Europe.