Museum Programs

The Harlem Hell Fighters: Jazz on the Battlefield during World War I

Dave Gilbert, Lecturer and PhD Candidate, University of Wisconsin

Lecture and discussion

Unable to fight for the segregated American Expeditionary Forces during World War I, the all-black 15th Infantry from New York – The Harlem Hell Fighters – became part of the French 369th Infantry, and eventually became the most-decorated American unit of the entire war.  The 369th also contained James Reese Europe’s famous marching band that won renown throughout France, introducing the modern sounds of American jazz to war-torn local audiences and helping establish the French love affair with American culture that endured throughout the twentieth century.

Women's History Month Lecture - Women in the Navy

CPT Mary Kolar, US Navy (RET)

Lecture and discussion

Join us for this special Women’s History Month lecture as we highlight the role of women in the US Navy with CPT Mary Kolar (Ret.). CPT Kolar holds a Master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and a qualified Joint Specialty Officer, and has earned numerous service medals, including the Legion of Merit with gold star.

LeMay: The Life and Wars of Curtis LeMay

Warren Kozak, author

Lecture and book signing

Seen by some as a belligerent, remorseless murderer, and by others as a patriot of the highest order, Air Force General Curtis LeMay remains one of the most enigmatic and charismatic figures in American military history. Join former NPR reporter Warren Kozak, author of LeMay, as he discusses LeMay’s military career, from his role in creating the Air Force and Strategic Air Corps, to his role in forming early Vietnam policy; his troubling turn as George Wallace’s running mate in 1968; and his reevaluation of LeMay’s legacy some twenty years after his death.

 A 2010 Dr. Richard Zeitlin Distinguished Lecture Series Event

Presented in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Department of History, the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE), the Grand Strategy Program, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA)

Country Music Goes to War

Bill C. Malone, historian, author, and musician

Lecture and performance

Join renowned country music scholar and local radio host Bill C. Malone as he discusses country music’s response to the “Red Scare” of the 1950s, the Korean War, and the anti-Vietnam War movement. Malone will perform several selections and play several tracks that highlight the works of Ernest Tubb, the Louvin Brothers, and Merle Haggard, among others.

The Battle of An Loc, 1972

James H. Willbanks, PhD, Director, Department of Military History, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

Lecture and discussion

Noted Vietnam authority Douglas Pike described the battle of An Loc during the North Vietnamese Spring Offensive of 1972 as “the single most important battle in the war.”  During the course of the battle, a besieged South Vietnamese defense held out against a sustained and protracted North Vietnamese attack of an intensity seldom seen in the Vietnam War. The nearly three-month siege resulted in horrendous losses on both sides and culminated in the blocking of the North Vietnamese thrust toward Saigon. This was the last major battle in which U.S. support, primarily advisers and air support, was available to South Vietnamese forces.

Landon's Odyssey

Joseph Gasperetti, author and Vietnam Veteran

Lecture and book signing

While trying to acclimate to civilian life, Gil Landon, a returning Wisconsin Vietnam veteran, goes on a personal journey through his past to improve his future. Through his journey to hand deliver letters from comrades, Landon discovers old friends, old enemies, and a glimmer of hope. Painted over a broad national and international canvas, Landon's Odyssey is truly an epic journey. It is a unique and relevant tale for a generation, one still coming to grips with the tumultuous times it experienced. For the uninitiated, it will improve their understanding of an age that still echoes loudly across the contemporary landscape.