ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER PROGRAM HONORS SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

This Memorial Day Weekend, the Atlanta History Center invites guests of all ages to join in honoring the contribution of our service men and women during Veterans Remembrance Day. Gather the entire family on Sunday, May 27, 2012, from Noon to 5:00 pm for this unique and inspiring experience.

This special program, funded by the Fulton County Arts Council, provides an engaging opportunity for families to learn and have fun together while spending the afternoon in the company of veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and current conflicts as veterans share their remarkable stories of wartime through personal accounts and memorabilia.  In addition, living history interpreters represent soldiers of previous wars by displaying authentic dress, equipment, and vehicles creating a truly interactive and memorable event.  

MEET THE VETERANS:

The number of brave veterans living today who served in World War II becomes less with each passing week.  Their stories are significant narratives of our history and the Atlanta History Center is proud to work with national oral history initiatives, such as the Veterans History Project, to preserve authentic interviews with Georgia and regional veterans.  Nothing, however, compares to the moving experience of speaking with an American veteran and hearing firsthand their stories of wartime triumphs and tragedy.  

• Carl Beck – Master Sergeant, H Company, 501 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army, World War II, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953.  His service location included United States, France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany, as well as the United States, Europe, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.  Visit the Veterans History Project of Library of Congress for more information and online interview excerpts: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.01985/ 

• Vincent Melillo – 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) known as Merrill's Marauders; World War II, as well as 5th Regimental Combat Team, Korean War.

 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: 

• Meet veterans and living history interpreters representing the various branches of the U.S. armed forces sharing stories about battles and military strategies of wars from WWII to present-day conflicts through displays of authentic dress and equipment 

• Explore Beyond Rosie: Women in World War II exhibition from the Museum of History and Holocaust Education at Kennesaw State University and discover how World War II impacted the everyday social, cultural, and economic realities of life for women in the United States 

• Soil Sisters Tour – Learn how homefront gardening was an important part of the war effort during WW I and its contribution to the women’s rights movement through a guided tour of the Atlanta History Center Historic Gardens 

• Commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial by exploring two Civil War exhibitions: Turning Point: The American Civil War and War In our Backyards 

• Meet representatives from U.S. Army Signal Corps Museum, Commemorative Air Force Dixie Wing - Peachtree City, and the Maneuver Center of Excellence Libraries 

This program is included in the price of general Atlanta History Center admission.  Visitors with military ID are admitted free.  For more information or to purchase advance tickets visit www.AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/VRD.    

ABOUT THE ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER: Founded in 1926, the Atlanta History Center is an all-inclusive, thirty-three-acre destination featuring the Atlanta History Museum, one of the Southeast’s largest interactive history museums; two historic houses, the 1928 Swan House and the 1860 Smith Family Farm; the Centennial Olympic Games Museum; the Kenan Research Center; the Grand Overlook event space; Chick-Fil-A at the Coca-Cola Café, a museum shop, and acres of Historic Gardens with paths and the kid-friendly Connor Brown Discovery Trail. 

In addition, the History Center operates the Margaret Mitchell House.  Located in Midtown Atlanta, the two-acre campus features tours of the apartment where Margaret Mitchell wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Gone With the Wind, an exhibition highlighting the life of Margaret Mitchell, a Gone With the Wind movie exhibition, and a museum shop.  For more information on Atlanta History Center offerings, hours of operation, and admission, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Tags: