NORFOLK, Va – On Thursday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m., the MacArthur Memorial will present a free virtual lecture by Dr. Frank Blazich Jr., Curator of Military History at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
Dr. Blazich will explore the history of the 34th Naval Construction Battalion—the first African American “Seabees” battalion in U.S. naval history. Trained in the Norfolk area, the unit was established during World War II and played a key role in the fight for racial equality in the military.
Dr. Blazich has been Curator of Modern Military History at the National Museum of American History since 2017. He previously served as a historian at the Naval History and Heritage Command and the U.S. Navy Seabee Museum. He also serves on the Smithsonian Institution Veterans Council.
This virtual presentation will include a Q&A session. This event is free and open to the public. To register, visit: https://streamyard.com/watch/vjnR7gffUdhZ or www.macarthurmemorial.org.
About The MacArthur Memorial: The MacArthur Memorial was founded in 1964 as a museum and library dedicated to the life and times of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. Today the MacArthur Memorial is an internationally recognized center for the study of military history, leadership, and diplomacy. The City of Norfolk operates the Memorial in close partnership with the nonprofit General Douglas MacArthur Foundation. The museum serves 140,000+ people annually and is open free of charge. For more information, visit www.macarthurmemorial.org.