The 19th Annual Conference not only brought together American heroes from across the generations, it allowed the WWIIVC & AVC to bring their stories to Americans across the country, and preserve them for future generations.
Each of the conference panels were filmed and aired nationwide by C-SPAN, as well as streamed live online by Military. com.
Behind the scenes at the 19th Annual Conference, each of the participating veteran speakers is interviewed as part of the WWIIVC & AVC’ s Oral History Project. Their interviews are used in future television documentary programs, and are donated to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project.
At right and below: Photos of oral history interviews with decorated Marine Corps veteran of Peleliu R. V. Burgin and USS West Virginia veteran from Pearl Harbor Adone“ Cal” Calderone.
Preserving Our Veter ans’ Legacy
At right-top: Richard Cole, Manny Mandel, and Jerry Yellin as appeared on C-SPAN’ s American History TV. Right-bottom: Colonel Edward Shames, veteran of the 101st Airborne Division and the last surviving officer of the famed“ Band of Brothers,” shares his story of serving from D-Day to Hitler’ s Eagle’ s Nest.
The signature program of the 19th Annual Conference, American Valor: A Salute to Our Heroes is the WWIIVC & AVC’ s Emmy Award-winning Veterans Day television special saluting military heroes from WWII to today.
A Veterans Day Television Spectacular
Stars of film and television like Kevin Spacey and Eric Dane( pictured below), along with Gary Sinise, Kiefer Sutherland, Julianne Moore, Pat Sajak and others came together to salute the stories that unite and inspire us all.
Among the honorees were“ The Defenders of Pearl Harbor,” legendary Tuskegee Airmen pilot Col. Charles McGee, Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, acclaimed combat pilot Maj. Heather Penney( all pictured below), among others from across the generations.
The program was filmed at the 19th Annual Conference, and aired Veterans Day weekend on American Heroes Channel, REELZ Channel, and to our troops watching worldwide on American Forces Network.
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