When a fellow learns to fly with the army air corps, he does not learn it all in a day, week or month. The gateway is a big schooling ground in san antonio texas, the primary training point for airline pilots. We are here at Randolph Air Force base, where airpower begins. Iconicthe great buildings in air force history. From here, you can see the entirety of the air force base, the circular design. It is a beautiful place. It is a functional base. It was built in time to help the air force build their numbers so they would have a winning air force by 1942, and they build it to be the showplace of the air force and it became known as west point of the air, with engineers and artillery specialists in the army, this is where you learned the craft of flying and supporting flying operations. So it started here and many have come back here. A lot of people mention the base as being important to san antonio. It is. Why is it important . It has always been a generator for technology and innovat
Lives presentation. I would like first to find the program sponsor, the law firm, for their generous support, not this year but for several years now. It is this kind of Corporate Support along with matt from so many of you as individuals that enables the great lives series to thrive. So i would like to ask our good friends from the law firm stand so we can acknowledge them. [applause] also, a special group tonight that i would like to knowledge, that is the simpson circle, a group composed of former Mary Washington members. They are here tonight and we would like to have them stand so we can acknowledge them. In introducing tonight speaker, dr. Joanne freeman, i would like to mention at the outset that one of her most commendable qualifications is that she received her phd from the university. Thats right, uva. [laughter] in any case, not long after receiving that degree, she was recognized already as one of the nations top young historians. She has subsequently has achieved widesprea
The program sponsor, the law firm, for their generous support, not this year but for several years now. It is this kind of corporate support, along with that from so many of you as individuals that enables the great lives series to thrive. So i would like to ask our good friends from the law firm trust so we can acknowledge them. [applause] also, a special group tonight that i would like to knowledge, that is the simpson circle, a group composed of former Mary Washington members. Bmv members. They are here tonight and we would like to have them stand so we can acknowledge them. [applause] in introducing tonights speaker, dr. Joanne freeman, i would like to mention at the outset that one of her most commendable qualifications is that she received her phd from the university. Thats right, uva. Right. [laughter] in any case not long after , receiving that degree, she was recognized already as one of the nations top young historians. She has subsequently has achieved widespread recognition
Actually, im part cherokee native, but im a mainland writer. And so my the time i will have to speak in hawaiian is thick. Well talk a bit about the hawaiian language. But the first thing i need to do is make some disclaimer of humility. Because captive paradise is intended to explain the essentials of how the United States, how we got our hands on the place. Ive never gotten such good well, im used to getting good reviews. But the reviews that i got from wall street journal all the way to honolulu magazine were just extraordinary. Really wonderful reviews. Which did not prepare me for the anger that i saw in the native independence blogs. They hated it. And hated me just another damn halely trying to make monday off our history. Parentally they think people make money off history which tells you something about their understanding of the publishing business. The there was on one of these hawaiian history and culture blogs a native xlor wscholar wh, yeah, hes whut, ite, he should have
Miles back from bases in saipan, tinian, and guam. Here, 21st bomber clan concentrated its massive airpower and planned the ultimate crushing defeat of japan, down to the last bomb. Here was the beginning of the end of the road to tokyo. After six months of reoccupation, there were few signs of war along the quiet summer shores of guam. The liberated people were back in their native villages, american citizens again, smiling and friendly, unaware a miracle had happened around them. A miracle that moved mountains of material, equipment, and supplies across the pacific. That changed their dirt roads into broad highways. That manicured their jungles into blacktop airfields, and nearby, new communities of american citizens had set up housekeeping with various types of selfservice. The latest laborsaving devices, few laundry problems and no modern inconveniences. By midsummer, 21st Bomber Command was in business, big business. Under general lemays direction, the long arm began punching the