Rita Cosby to Speak at World War II Weekend

At 12:00 noon on Saturday, September 18, award winning television host and bestselling author Rita Cosby will speak at the National Park Service sponsored World War II living history weekend at the Eisenhower National Historic Site. Cosby is a renowned TV host and veteran correspondent who will speak about her book, Quiet Hero: Secrets from My Father's Past , which tells the story of her father who fought against the Nazis as a member of the Polish Resistance in the Warsaw Uprising.

Rita Cosby was 8 years old when she first noticed her father's scars etched across his body, but was quickly told, "We don't talk about it." When she was a teenager, Rita's father abruptly left his family one Christmas. Estranged from her father for years, after her mother's death Cosby discovered a tattered suitcase full of mementoes including an old Polish Resistance armband, rusted tags bearing a prisoner number and an identity card for a POW named Ryszard Kossobudsky. This discovery led to a dialog between father and daughter and resulted in a gripping chronicle of his individual heroism.

A three time Emmy winner, who anchored highly rated prime-time shows on the Fox News Channel and MSNBC, Rita Cosby is currently a special correspondent for the CBS syndicated program Inside Edition . She has interviewed many well known public figures including former U.S. Presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, boxer Mike Tyson, and the late Michael Jackson.

Following her talk Ms. Cosby will be available to sign copies of her book. Proceeds from her book sales support the USO program, Operation Enduring Care, to help wounded warriors and their families, and support two museums in Poland, the Warsaw Rising Museum and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

Eisenhower World War II Weekend will be open Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Over 300 living historians will portray an authentic recreation of both Allied and German army camps, complete with original World War II vehicles. Talks by World War II veterans, special exhibits of a 1940s house and an Enigma code machine, and book signings will highlight the weekend.

Admission to the Eisenhower National Historic Site is by shuttle bus. Buses depart from the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center located at 1195 Baltimore Pike. Weather permitting, on-site parking for cars only will also be available in a farm field accessible off of Emmitsburg Road, Business Route 15. Bus groups and visitors using wheelchairs should plan to use the shuttle system. For reservations, call 1-877-874-2478. Fees to enter the site either by shuttle bus or by parking in the field are adults, $7.50; children 6-12, $5.00; children age 6 and under are admitted free.