D-Day + 80, a symposium revisiting the greatest amphibious military campaign of the twentieth century will convene on April 20, 2024, at Gettysburg College. The full-day program includes lectures by noted military historians including Dr. John C. McManus who will speak on The Americans at D-Day, Dr. Craig Symonds whose talk is entitled “The Navy Saved our Hides:” U.S. Naval Gunfire Support on D-Day, and David Eisenhower who will present Triumph and Tragedy – D-Day and Beyond. A panel featuring presentations by Susan Eisenhower discussing Early Planning for Operation Overlord – Important but Little Remembered Leadership Decisions, Col. Douglas Douds presenting Operational Dilemma: The German Defense of Normandy, and Gen. William Matz discussing Allied Airborne Operations in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944, is also on the agenda.
Participants will be offered the option, at the close of the formal presentations, of viewing an hour-long educational film entitled D-Day at Pointe du Hoc narrated by David McCallum and produced by Tim Gray of the World War II Foundation or attending a walking tour entitled “The Great Crusade,” D-Day Casualties in the Gettysburg National Cemetery presented by Park Ranger Dan Vermilya. Guest speakers will be available to sign their books, many of which will be for sale at the event.
The Symposium is co-sponsored by the Dwight D. Eisenhower Society and the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College and funded in part by generous grants from the Robert M. Lauman Foundation and Destination Gettysburg. Other partners include the Eisenhower National Historic Site, the World War II Foundation, the World War II American Experience Museum and Federal Pointe Inn. Registration is $40 a person or $35 for veterans and includes a continental breakfast and a buffet lunch. Registration space is limited, so don’t wait. To learn more about the symposium and register, visit https://www.gettysburg.edu/eisenhower-institute/events/dday-symposium.
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Society is dedicated to promoting the memory and legacy of leadership of Dwight D. Eisenhower through educational programs, scholarships, grants, and special events.