World War II Lecture

Witnessing History- Unconditional Surrender, May 1945

Enunciated by President Franklin Roosevelt at the Casablanca Conference, January 1943, the policy of “unconditional surrender” brings about the total defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. On May 7, 1945, at Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s headquarters in Rheims, France, the German high command signed an unconditional surrender document. Present to take photos at the signing was Technical Sergeant Al Meserlin, General Eisenhower’s wartime photographer. This presentation detail the circumstances leading up to the signing and enable you to actually witness history via the photos Sgt. Meserlin took of the historic event. Victory in Europe (VE) Day was officially declared the next day.

PAUL E. ZIGO, a history professor, author and military historian is the founder and director, of the World War II Era Studies Institute.  The institute is dedicated to furthering one’s knowledge and understanding of the WW II era and its impact on history.  He is a graduate of Temple University and the United States Army War College.  He authored and edited in 2009 Witnessing History: The Eisenhower Photographs featuring all the photos of General Dwight D. Eisenhower taken by his personal wartime photographer, Al Meserlin.  Zigo was also the executive producer and narrator of the cable network series Triumphant Spirit: America's World War II Generation Speaks from 2001 to 2004.  In 2014, he authored the book The Longest Walk: The Amazing Story of the 29^th Inf. Division on D-Day 6 June 1944 and in 2017, he co-authored the book Bataan – When Men Have To Die, an accounting of the fall of the Philippine Islands to the Japanese in 1942.  Recently, Mr. Zigo authored and published the well-received book Unconditional Surrender:  Witnessing History – May 1945.  He is a 30 year veteran of the United States Army retiring as a Colonel and is a founding sponsor of the National Museum of the US Army, Fort Belvoir, VA.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library