'The Jump Across the Rhine' with James Fenelon, Saul David & Robert M. Citino

"Operation Varsity: The Jump Across the Rhine" explores the largest airborne operation of World War II, which played a critical role in the Allied advance into Germany. Featuring James Fenelon, Saul David, PhD, and chaired by Robert M. Citino, PhD, the session explores the strategic coordination of airborne and amphibious forces and the challenges of executing the operation under enemy fire.
This session is part of The National WWII Museum's 2024 International Conference on World War II presented by the Pritzker Military Foundation, on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. For more information: www.nationalww...
The International Conference on World War II is the premier adult educational event bringing together the best and brightest scholars, authors, historians, and witnesses to history from around the globe to discuss key battles, personalities, strategies, issues, and controversies of the war that changed the world. Joining the featured speakers are hundreds of attendees who travel from all over the world to learn and connect with each other through engaging discussions, question-and-answer periods, book signings, and receptions throughout the weekend.
James Fenelon is the paratrooper-turned-author of Four Hours of Fury, the untold story of the American 17th Airborne Division’s combat jump over Germany’s Rhine River in March 1945. His most recent book, Angels Against the Sun, follows the 11th Airborne Division’s battle through the Philippines and their eventual landing in Japan as the vanguard of the occupation forces. As an author, Fenelon leverages his military service to provide readers with engaging accounts of average GIs swept up by events beyond their control. His desire to give readers a “boots on the ground” perspective is reflected in his narrative-driven writing style. Fenelon’s study of World War II has taken him to numerous battlefields and historic sites, including those in France, Italy, Britain, Holland, Belgium, Egypt, Greece, Germany, and Crete. He is a regular contributor to World War II magazine and has been previously published in FlyPast, Britain’s largest selling aviation magazine, as well as ARMY and Military History. With his expertise in military history, he has consulted as a technical adviser for video games, screenplays, and documentaries. Fenelon is a graduate of the US Army’s parachute, jump master, and pathfinder schools. An alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, Fenelon lives with his wife in the Texas Hill Country.
Saul David is an award-winning military historian, author, and broadcaster. He earned his PhD from the University of Glasgow and is a professorial research fellow at the University of Buckingham and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. His many books include The Force: The Legendary Special Ops Unit and WWII’s Mission Impossible; Crucible of Hell: The Heroism and Tragedy of Okinawa, 1945; Sunday Times Top 10 best sellers Sky Warriors: British Airborne Forces in the Second World War and SBS: Silent Warriors, which was shortlisted for the Mountbatten Award; and Devil Dogs: King Company, Third Battalion, 5th Marines: From Guadalcanal to the Shores of Japan, a Times and Daily Telegraph History Book of the Year. His book Operation Thunderbolt: Flight 139 and the Raid on Entebbe Airport was named a 2015 Amazon History Book of the Year and later adapted into the movie Entebbe. David’s latest book, Tunisgrad: Destroying the Axis, 1942-1943, will be published in 2025. He co-hosts the popular Battleground podcast with Patrick Bishop.
Rob Citino is a Distinguished Fellow at the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, as well as one of America’s most distinguished military historians. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he attended St. Ignatius Loyola High School on the city’s west side and received his BA in history from The Ohio State University. He earned his MA and PhD from Indiana University. He joined the Museum in August 2016. An award-winning military historian and scholar, Citino has published 10 books including The Wehrmacht Retreats: Fighting a Lost War, 1943; Death of the Wehrmacht: The German Campaigns of 1942; and The German Way of War: From the Thirty Years’ War to the Third Reich. He has also written numerous articles covering World War II and 20th-century military history. He speaks widely and contributes regularly to general readership magazines, including World War II. Citino enjoys close ties with the US military establishment and taught one year at the US Military Academy at West Point and two years at the US Army War College.

[@Ormi1911]

So very thankful for the National WW2 Museum posting these for all to see. It's important we continue to remember these stories and sacrifices

[@williammorris584]

A suggestion from other similar presentations: take written questions. At history talks, many questioners take the opportunity to make a rebuttal speech or recount Uncle Dan’s story about driving a Diamond T in southern France. Taking written questions allows more rely time from the speaker or panelists.

[@jon00769]

Dude on the left is tweaked out of his head lol.