American Valor Quarterly Issue 6 - Spring/Summer 2009 | Page 2

FROM THE EDITOR Preserving Their Legacy Spring/Summer 2009 James C. Roberts President Tim Holbert Editor & Program Director James Michels Director of Development Laura Ymker Program Assistant Travis Fahlen & Andrew Lee Graphic Illustrators Peter Trahan Website Manager Chris Graham Researcher Michael Paradiso Publisher American Valor Quarterly A quarterly publication of the American Veterans Center 1100 N. Glebe Rd. Suite 910 Arlington, VA 22201 Telephone: 703-302-1012. Fax: 571-480-4141. The American Veterans Center is comprised of two divisions, the World War II Veterans Committee and the National Vietnam Veterans Committee. American Valor Quarterly is mailed to donors to the American Veterans Center, World War II Veterans Committee, or National Vietnam Veterans Committee who make a contribution of $50 or more per-year. Contributions help fund the Center and Committees’ various speaker conferences, student programs, the National Memorial Day Parade, documentary and oral history projects, and this publication. To make a contribution or subscribe, call 703-302-1012 ext. 214 or e-mail [email protected]. www.americanveteranscenter. org www.wwiivets.com By Tim Holbert The motto of the American Veterans Center has long been “From the Greatest Generation to the Latest Generation.” Our mission cannot be only to save the history of our veterans of earlier generations, it must also include preserving it and passing it along to future generations. listeners each week, with Veterans Chronicles the most popular veterans’ podcast on the internet. All of these radio programs are also available on our website at www. americanveteranscenter.org. Throughout the year, the Center holds a number of speaker events, including the Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Over the last decade, the conference has become one of the nation’s premier Veterans Day events, bringing together heroes from the Greatest Generation to the latest generation. The conference is open to all, but the Center makes a special point of bringing in students from all over to meet with and learn from those who have served and sacrificed on our behalf. The 2009 conference will take place from November 12-14. All of our programs operate with this in mind, and all of them focus on providing an outlet for veterans themselves to share their lessons and experiences, first-hand. Of course, this includes American Valor Quarterly, which is the nation’s only magazine devoted entirely to veterans telling their own stories, in their own words. From the Philippines in World War II to Fallujah in Operation Iraqi Freedom, AVQ allows veterans and active duty service members the chance to share their experiences with tens of thousands of readers One of the many World War II veterans Keeping with the focus like you, while copies are to speak at the Center’s annual confer- on youth involvement, the ence, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob distributed free of charge Feller shares a bit of his story with one Center sponsors a number to students attending the of the young students in attendance. of programs during the year, from summer internCenter’s various speaker ships where college students work with events. veterans to record their stories, to essay The Center’s programming goes far beyond contests and college scholarships. Also, just this magazine, however. With our as you will read in this issue, hundreds of long history of collaboration with the young people joined in the 2009 National Radio America network, the Center and Memorial Day Parade, helping to carry its subdivision the World War II Veterans banners and pass out water and flags to the Committee, has produced hundreds of veterans in attendance. More than 300,000 oral history documentaries and interview spectators turned out for the parade, in programs featuring veterans from World addition to those around the country who War II to today. In addition to documentaries watched the television broadcast. on Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and the Four Chaplains, the Center has produced World These are just a few of the Center’s War II Chronicles, the award-winning weekly programs, dedicated to preserving and radio series which looks back on the events promoting the legacy of those who have of World War II for that week more than served. None of which, I should add, are 60 years ago. possible without the support of you and thousands of other Americans who share Veterans Chronicles, our weekly interview the belief that we should not, and cannot, series, and Proudly We Hail can be heard on forget the sacrifices of our men and women more than 40 radio stations nationwide. who have worn the uniform. And with the growth of the internet, AVQ both are able to reach thousands of new AMERICAN VALOR QUARTERLY - Spring/Summer 2009 - 3