Next, Rick Atkinson discusses the significance of the invasion of sicily and the Italian Campaign on the eventual liberation of europe in world war ii. This one hour and 40 minute event is part of the New York Historical society distinguished speakers lecture series. Thank you so much for inviting me to be with you and for joining me on this gorgeous new york morning. This is the third presentation i have given in this fantastic auditorium in just over a year and all i can say is you folks are gluttons for punishment. We will talk about the Second World War this morning. I was just in normandy for the 70th anniversary of dday in that campaign certainly has taken center stage this spring just as it has in our National Narrative about that liberation of europe. This morning, we will try to bring the italian war back into focus a bit. I have two confessions. I have not seen the movie payzant. Campaignlk about the in italy up through the fall of was june 4, 1944. The war goes on, but for t
To be married and we had three children. Of course, theres one. Another question for the panel . This question is for mrs. Olson and mrs. Snyder. I heard the toughest job is an army wife. How do you feel about that . Do you feel that . Or a marine wife. When he got home, we were married in three weeks after he got home. The war was still going on, he got to come home because of what he had been through, so thats why we were sent to camp leje e lejeune. We lived there on base for almost a year almost two years i think, we lived on base and it was one of the most fun times of my life. I could walk to the ocean, the grocery store, even though we lived in a what today they call a travel trailer. Thats what all the married marines lived in. I had to learn to cook on a camp stove, i had to pump up a little tank on the front of it. I had some wonderful times. I had marine friends and families, the whole base was family mostly and we had some lifelong friends we made there. Actually, it was a
Speakers lecture series. Its an hour and 40 minutes. Thanks so much for inviting me to be with you and for joining me on this gorgeous new york morning. This is the third presentation ive given in this fantastic auditorium at the New York Historical society in just over a year. And all i can say is you folks are gluttons for punishment. Were going to talk about the second world war. I was just in normandy for the 70th anniversary of dday. And that campaign certainly has taken center stage this spring just as it has in our National Narrative about the liberation of europe since june 6th, 1944, when it permanently eclipsed the dramatic prorks tracted, sanguinary struggle in italy. Well try to bring that italian war back into focus a bit. I have two confessions. First, i have not seen the movie paizon which showed last night. I have not seen it. If you have questions about it, i am not your man. Secondly, ill talk mostly about the campaign in italy up through the fall of rome. The war goe
I think that there needs to be a campaign of writing letters instead of all these emails because they can keep those lett letters instead of they cant keep the emails. Theyre in space. Letters are tangible. And reread them. Thats the wonderful part. And years and years from now, those soldiers can read them and think back. It is very necessary for people to write letters. At 5 00 a booth will open over by the statue where you can make a card to send to a current soldier. We have time for one more question. We have one more. I have to get through the maze. Thank you. What effect or what memories do you have from the rationing that went on during world war ii . I know my mother has talked about it briefly, but she doesnt talk very much about those memories. Well, as kids we didnt notice it so much except for a shortage of bubble gum. [ laughter ] it would pass very quickly if some store got it. Because we did have a farm and access to other farms we were able to get things that probably
I walked home in the fog and i was pursued by that stupid thing every inch of the way and it was all because of the war. Thats got to be hard to top. Were here to commemorate the 70th anniversary of dday what are your dday memories, how did you hear . Was it one of hope . Was it the light at the end of the tunnel after all these years, anything come to mind . Of course i was working at firestone on that day, and we had all heard at firestone that dday was happening and all the churches were open what i planned to do on my way home from work, i stopped at the church and prayed for my husband i remember that i at the time had taken my baby daughter and my husband was overseas and i was living on a farm with his folks and my sister lived in centralia about 25 miles away, she had three children and her husband was serving in the navy i was so excited that day, that i packed up my baby daughter with clothes and the play pen that was her dad. I drove to centralia, picked up my sister and we