News Release

WWII D-Day to V-E Day Symposium at Springfield Technical Community College

General Dwight D. Eisenhower giving the order of the day – "Full victory-nothing else" – to paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division in England.

National Archives

News Release Date: April 24, 2025

Contact: Alan Amelinckx, 413-482-1051

Springfield Armory NHS News Release
 
April 24, 2025                                                          
For Immediate Release
 

 WWII D-Day to V-E Day Symposium
at Springfield Technical Community College  

 
SPRINGFIELD, MA: Join Springfield Armory National Historic Site on Saturday, May 10, 2025, for a World War II Symposium marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. The half day symposium from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. will feature presentations by Springfield Armory NHS curator Alex MacKenzie, historical fiction author Jane Healey, and author and historian Marty Morgan. The event will be held in the Auditorium at Springfield Technical Community College.  
 
The symposium is part of a series of events this year to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe (“V-E” day) and the recent selection of Springfield Massachusetts as a World War II Heritage City. Other events this year include the launch of a WWII Victory Garden on May 31st and lectures with authors John McManus on August 2nd and Ted Herman on August 23rd.  
 
The schedule for the Symposium is as follows: 
9:30am: Welcome by Superintendent Kelly Fellner
9:45am: D-Day to V-E Day: The Final Push, Alex MacKenzie 
10:45am: The Story Behind the Beantown Girls, Jane Healey 
11:45am: Unsung: the ANM2 .50-caliber Machine Gun in World War II, Marty Morgan 
 
All three lectures will take place in the auditorium of Springfield Technical Community College in collaboration with Springfield Armory National Historic Site. The Symposium is free, but reservations are required by calling 413-734-8551 or emailing [e-mail] 
 

-NPS-

ABOUT THE PARK: Springfield Armory National Historic Site is the location of the nation’s first armory (1794 – 1968) and was established by George Washington. The site includes historic grounds, buildings, and the world’s largest historic American military firearms collection. For updates and further information call [phone], check the website at www.nps.gov/spar or go to www.facebook.com/sparnhs.