The first being its timeliness. As we face a president ial Election Year and prepare for it, it will be an insight that all of us can benefit from. The second is the speaker himself, our esteemed umw Professor Emeritus of history, william b. Crawley, who has just completed 50 years on the faculty of university of the mary washington. During that half century, dr. Crawley has contributed in innumerable ways, in significant ways. Certainly not least of all, the creation of our renowned Historic Preservation program and the creation of this amazing great lives series. But it is for his excellence in teaching that he is perhaps best known. And certainly to literally thousands of our students who have come through our halls. He has received our institutions highest honors in teaching, both from his colleagues and from his students. Many of whom through the years have voted him as the faculty member who has made the greatest impact upon their lives. Dr. Crawley through these years has become
Whatever gadgets you may have. So they dont interfere with our system here. Thank you, now, as you know warehouse tonight is Justice Sonia sotomayor, we are very pleased to have the justice with those tonight. I want to thank her on behalf of the society for giving her time, when we call upon her to participate in events like this. Because its quite important to us, and quite important to you. And we marry much appreciate it. Ill tell you briefly a little bit about the justice. She is a native new yorker, born in the bronx, very unhappy about last nights baseball game i guess, the boston red sox. She did her undergraduate work at princeton, and then to yell last school. Then joined the District Attorney in new york county, as an assistant District Attorney. After several years there in private practice in new york she was a litigator in the International Commercial law. That attracted attention and before long she had become a Federal District judge on the Southern District of new york
Tokyo. It is a great book. Bookshe author of many and came to us about 10 years ago. He came and visited the museum, gave a presentation on his book, and we have not managed to get him back here. We tried, he was going to come in april of this year, but of course things got out of hand, and we had to postpone that event indefinitely to talk on one of his other books. Im sure most of our viewers today know many of johns books. Help from the heroes hell from the heavens, for crew and country, and tin can tightens, which one the Elliott Morrison naval litter chief naval literacy award. It was awarded regarded naval history. So congratulations on that. Many years belated. As i mentioned, john was supposed to come in april, and we were able to work in the Distance Learning team to bring these programs to you all. This one specifically has to do with our theme of the end of the war, the 75th in a verse or he of the end of the war. We will get right do it so we many of theet as audience quest
Of course, things got a little out of hand and we had to postpone that event indefinitely to talk on one of his other books. But im sure most of our viewers today know many of johns books. Thencrew and country and tin can tightens, which won the samuel l morrison naval award when it came out. Probably the most prestigious naval history. So congratulations on that. John was supposed to come in april and we were able to work in the Distance Learning team to bring the program to you all. This one specifically has to do with our theme of the end of the war. To get right to it so you can get as many of the audiences questions as asked asked and answered by john. Im going to start off with a handful of my own questions. Lets give the audience a reef summary for those who have not read the book. Give them a brief summary. John the dogfight over tokyo explains the story of the last four americans to die in combat in world war ii. By that, i dont mean to say they were the last four men to die e
Initially against it because the soviet union had fought this great war against nazi germany which is very much a substance of salvi it and russian history until today there were a lot of in the end you could say it is the allies the americans it was george h. W. Bush at the time was the president the americans too had their dogs they all had to agree to this and that was the presses that happened after the fall of the german wall which was how shall i say the symbol that nina was talking about earlier but to turn that into a treaty into a unified into unified germany that was a diplomatic. Force and to really that willis and i married or scientists i think you know. The german president especially. Mentioned george go. The. Leader of the soviet union at the time when he agreed to this then the last element of resistance basically fell the allies agreed to a treaty that allowed the unification of germany and then it happened but it was really touch and go in some sense but there was al