American Valor Quarterly Issue 3 - Summer 2008 | Page 26

Registration Now Open! The American Veterans Center’s 11th Annual Conference November 6-8 -Washington, DC The American Veterans Center invites you to join us for the nation’s premier Veterans Day event! From November 6-8, 2008, some of America’s most distinguished veterans and active duty service members will gather in Washington to share their experiences and memories of the defining moments in American military history. The conference will feature three days of speakers and panels, wreath-laying ceremonies at our nation’s war memorials, private VIP receptions, and the annual gala awards banquet honoring our greatest military heroes. The 11th Annual Conference will be a weekend none who attend will ever forget. Registration is now open, and space is limited, so sign up today! To request a daily schedule and registration form, call 703-302-1012 ext. 220 or e-mail [email protected] Highlights Include: The Doolittle Raiders - Veterans of Jimmy Doolittle’s legendary attack on Japan. The Filthy Thirteen The men of the 101st Airborne Division who made up the true story behind the famous film, The Dirty Dozen. In the famous photo from Stars and Stripes, men of the “Filthy Thirteen” apply war paint prior to D-Day. The war paint and mohawks were inspired by their leader, Jake McNiece. Joining McNiece at the 2008 conference will be the four other survivors of the famed unit. Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk - The navigator of the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the first atomic bomb. The Tuskegee Airmen - Veterans of the legendary air unit which comprised the first black pilots in U.S. military history. Dr. Lewis Sorley - Veteran of Vietnam and author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book, A Better War They Also Serve: The Contribution of Women to the U.S. Military - Some of the military’s most distinguished female veterans and active duty personnel share their experiences. Major League Baseball Veterans of WWII - Men who put their sports careers on hold to serve in the United States Military. Including Bob Feller, Monte Irvin, Mickey Vernon, Lou Brissie and Jerry Coleman (Additional participants TBA) Col. Dave R. Severance - Commander of E. Co., 28th Marines on Iwo Jima, which scaled Mt. Suribachi and raised the flags. Lt. Gen. Julius Becton - Decorated veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and later director of FEMA & President of Prairie View A&M University. The first flag is raised atop Mt. Suribachi during the battle of Iwo Jima. Then-Captain Dave Severance led the company that secured the mountain. The Tet Offensive: 40th Anniversary - A discussion on the major turning point of the Vietnam War.