American Legion Post 20 meeting Wednesday features son of renowned Cold War U-2 pilot
Francis Gary Powers Jr., son of the famed U-2 pilot, will speak at the next meeting of the National Press Club American Legion Post 20. The meeting takes place at noon Wednesday, March 27, in the McClendon Room and is open to all Club members.
This will be a luncheon meeting, and attendees ar
e asked to bring cash to pay for their lunch, which will be combined on one bill. For those who can't attend in person, there will be a Zoom feed .
Powers, a Club member, is scheduled to discuss his new graphic novel, "Enemy Territory," and his efforts to help school kids learn about Cold War history. He is the founder and chairman emeritus of the Cold War Museum in Vint Hill, Virginia. He also served as chair of the Presidential Advisory Committee for Cold War Theme Study, which helped the National Park Service identify historic Cold War sites for preservation.
Francis Gary Powers Sr. was shot down during a surveillance mission over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960. He was captured by the Soviets, subjected to a show trial, and eventually exchanged for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. The event was depicted in the 2015 Steven Spielberg film "Bridge of Spies."
You can watch the meeting on Zoom here.
Meeting ID: 874 2863 3414
Passcode: ALPOST20
American Legion Post 20 has been affiliated with the National Press Club since 1919. The post was founded at the urging of World War I General John J. Pershing, who was an associate member of NPC at the time.