The National WWII Museum and PBS’ National Memorial Day Concert will host a Facebook Live Q&A on Sunday, May 28th at 7:15 pm ET featuring 103 year-old Pearl Harbor veteran Retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Jim Downing with the Museum’s Oral Historian Tom Gibbs. Participants can send in comments and questions during the live feed.
The 28th annual edition of the National Memorial Day Concert, broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol at 8 pm, will pay tribute to the “Greatest Generation” via two segments honoring their service and sacrifice. 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, the daring bombing mission over Tokyo that changed the course of the war in the Pacific. The concert will honor sole surviving member, 101 year-old Lt. Col. Dick Cole, and pay tribute to all the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War II. The segment, presented by Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise (Criminal Minds: Without Borders), was filmed during a “Soaring Valor Hero’s Journey” to The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. The event will also feature a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the United States Air Force and some of the most skilled aviators of World War II…the Tuskegee Airmen. These legendary, African-American pioneers will be honored at the U.S. Capitol by Laurence Fishburne, who was Emmy-nominated for his role in the highly acclaimed The Tuskegee Airmen.
“Capturing the oral history of WWII veterans, and veterans from subsequent wars, is incredibly important because it allows people to understand what war is truly like,” says Tom Gibbs, Oral Historian at The National WWII Museum. “It is also important to understand how these experiences affect veterans for the rest of their lives. Future generations will ask questions about the people who preceded them; this is one of the best ways to create answers for them.”
“Capturing the oral history of WWII veterans, and veterans from subsequent wars, is incredibly important because it allows people to understand what war is truly like.”
Emmy and Tony Award-winner Laurence Fishburne is stepping in for Gary Sinise to co-host the 28th annual edition of the National Memorial Day Concert with Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna. The all-star lineup for the event includes distinguished American leader General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.); world-renowned four-time Grammy Award-winning classical superstar Renée Fleming; multi-platinum recording artist and star of television, film and the Broadway stage Vanessa Williams; country music superstar Scotty McCreery; Grammy nominated, multi-platinum selling artist John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting; acclaimed actor John Ortiz; Tony-nominated actress Mary McCormack; acclaimed actor Robert Patrick; Broadway and television star Christopher Jackson; distinguished actress Ana Ortiz; legendary Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan; and the UK’s best-selling cross-over artist Russell Watson; in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. The gifted actress and singer Auli’i Cravalho will open the show with a special performance of the National Anthem.
The concert airs on PBS Sunday, May 28th from 8 to 9:30 pm, before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. The concert will also be live-streamed online on Facebook Live and PBS.org and available as Video on Demand for a limited time only, May 28th to June 10th.
The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world – why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today – so that future generations will know the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, it celebrates the American Spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front.
