And then we had our WWII Becoming History Presentation.
Since the last two presentations on the Roaring 1920s and the1930s dinner with the Churchills were simple, we had more opportunity to go all out for WWII!
Presenting my son who portrayed a 2nd Lieutenant, recently graduated from West Point, on his way to the Pacific Theater.
I portrayed Rose Valland of the French Resistance, spying on Nazis while working in a Paris museum.
My busy college daughter portrayed one of the Andrews sisters!
RECREATING THE HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN
We recreated the Hollywood Canteen, one of many such places where the military were treated to a grand send off before they left for their next assignment of military action.
Using a Glenn Miller CD for background most of the evening, we sang to various songs later in the evening.
I decorated the set with vintage posters that I bought while visiting various museums over the years.
I got the newspapers at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum that we visited last summer!
I served typical snack food found at USO shows and canteens during WWII.
For the centerpiece, I displayed an array from the Victory Garden…
All the cold stuff went on ice…
NEWSREELS TO INTRODUCE THE ACTS
My son got the idea to use Newsreels, so I heavily incorporated that into our presentation, especially at the beginning of each persona.
To introduce the Canteen, I showed:
Christmas Eve at the Hollywood Canteen
Hollywood Canteen with Dinah Shore and Lana Turner
After watching The Andrews Sisters at the Hollywood Canteen, my daughter gave her presentation, as one of the Andrews sisters!
ROSE VALLAND OF THE MONUMENTS MEN
Then we watched this modern clip on The Monuments Men, which led to my story as Rose Valland.
While working in a Paris museum when the Nazis stormed into Paris, Rose’s boss told her to secretly watch the Nazis, who were stealing treasures from the museum.
Eventually she was the only employee left at the museum, where she worked quietly so that the Nazis suspected nothing.
Unbeknownst to them, she knew German, so she secretly gathered information for the Monuments Men to find the stolen art.
WEST POINT GRADUATE EN ROUTE TO PACIFIC THEATER
After we watched West Point Sends 409 New Officers into the US Army, my son shared his persona of a 2nd Lieutenant recently graduated from West Point, on his way to the Pacific Theater.
SINGING AT THE HOLLYWOOD CANTINA
Then we all sang to some Swing Music from Glenn Miller like in the Cantina!
TAPS
At the end of the evening, we listened to Taps beautifully and poignantly played on the harmonica as we remembered the fallen troops…
TIME TO REPORT FOR DUTY
