A weekend focused on World War II history at President Eisenhower’s Gettysburg home might seem like an unlikely event to bring attention to the forgotten female veterans of World War I. However, this year’s World War II Weekend at the National Park Service’s Eisenhower National Historic Site will do just that!
This annual event highlights different topics in World War II history through speakers, ranger-led tours, a living history encampment, and family activities. The theme for 2026—“The Fight for Liberty: The Revolution to the Great Crusade”—commemorates America 250 by exploring the connections between the ideals of the nation’s founding and the Second World War.
The program on Saturday September 19 features my presentation at 11:30 am in the speakers’ tent. In my talk, titled “The Years Were Not Wasted”: How the Female ‘Veterans’ of World War I Impacted the World War II Generation,” I will explore how the American women who served in World War dedicated themselves to advancing opportunities for the younger generation during World War II. Often overlooked and overshadowed, this older cohort of self-defined ‘veterans’ believed that women’s military service should be expanded. These women became tireless advocates for their successors and their significant advocacy work impacted women—and men—for decades to come.
Learn more about the Eisenhower National Historic Site’s 2026 World War II Weekend here.
Catch my presentation on Saturday September 19 at 11:30 am in the speakers’ tent! This event is free and open to the public.
