We meet at 7:00pm on the second Thursday of every month from September through May in the History Center at Historic Fort Snelling, unless otherwise noted below:
September 14, 2017 Winning the Pacific War
James D. Hornfischer, Author of The Fleet At Flood Tide and Neptune’s Inferno along with Veterans will discuss the Campaign in the Central Pacific that led to the final Victory over the Japanese (PDF) (YouTube)
October 12, 2017 The First Invasion – Operation Torch (noting 75th Anniversary)
Vincent O’Hara, Author of Torch and Tim Brady, Author of His Father’s Son along with Veterans will discuss the Politics and Naval and Ground Operations in the most complicated Landing Operation in the early War period (PDF) (YouTube)
October 26, 2017 POW’s of Japan – Palawan
Stephen L. Moore, Author of As Good As Dead will discuss the much overlooked POW Camp that held several Veterans from Minnesota
(PDF) (YouTube)
November 9, 2017 The Dr.Harold C. Deutsch Lecture – Allying for Victory
William T. Johnsen, Author of The Origins Of The Grand Alliance will discuss the partnership between Roosevelt and Churchill to form an Allied Force to defeat the Axis Forces in Europe and expand into the Pacific Victory (PDF) (YouTube)
December 14, 2017 Victory in the Battle of the Bulge
Martin King and Michael Collins, Authors of Voices Of The Bulge and 4 new Titles on units involved in the Ardennes fighting, with Veterans of the largest Land Battle in western Europe, will reveal the struggle that led to the Victory (PDF) (YouTube)
January 11, 2018 Eastern Front – Final Victories
Jonathan House, Author of Stalingrad, and Veterans of the Soviet Military will describe the savage battles between the Germans and Russians that are too often overlooked by western Military Historians (PDF) (YouTube)
February 8, 2018 The Berlin Airlift – First Allied Victory of the Cold War (noting 70th Anniversary)
Roger G. Miller, Author of To Save A City, and Veterans of the mighty endeavor will tell of Stalin’s attempt to starve out a City devastated by War and struggling to rebuild and establish a new future (PDF) (YouTube)
March 8, 2018 American Airpower in WWII
Conrad C. Crane, Author of American Airpower Strategy In WWII, and Veterans that participated in the Air Operations will describe the Strategy and individual experiences that contributed to a Victory in WWII (PDF) (YouTube)
March 22, 2018 OSS: Operation Blackmail
Ann Todd, author of OSS: Operation Blackmail: One Woman’s Covert War Against the Imperial Japanese Army. She will tell the story of OSS Operative Betty McIntosh (PDF) (YouTube)
April 12, 2018 The Greatest Field Commander – Lucian Truscott
Harvey Ferguson, Author of The Last Cavalryman, and Veterans that served in his Commands will reveal the experiences of what happened in Italy and France by a Commander who has been rated as the Greatest Field Commander of WWII (PDF) (YouTube)
May 10, 2018 To Save the Victory After Defeat
Benn Steil, Author of The Marshall Plan, and Veterans of the Occupation, will highlight the great success that sealed the Victory in Europe and led to the State of Peace that resulted in the establishment of NATO and European Union (PDF) (YouTube)