Program Description
Event Details
CANCELLED - postponed to a later date yet to be announced
Presented by Glenn Flickinger.
When Americans think of World War II, they jump straight to D-Day and the battles in France. But the U.S. Army’s first combat against the European Axis came in an unexpected place—and against an unexpected foe. In November 1942, American troops landed in North Africa not to fight the Germans, but the French. From those uneasy beginnings, General Dwight Eisenhower—then an untested commander with no combat experience—would grow into the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe.
After North Africa came Sicily, captured in just six weeks, and then the long, grinding slog up the Italian peninsula. Why land at the bottom of Italy’s boot? Why commit to a campaign of mud, mules, and mountains that would test Allied armies to their limits? The fighting in Italy was some of the most brutal of the war, with the United States fighting shoulder to shoulder with Britain, Poland, Brazil, and other nations in a truly multinational effort.
Along the way, unforgettable figures emerge: Audie Murphy, the most decorated U.S. soldier of the war; Colonel Felix Sparks, who later led the liberation of Dachau; and Pittsburgh’s own Sgt. Guy Prestia, who fought with Sparks in the famed 45th Infantry Division. Chronicling the experience was Bill Mauldin, a 21-year-old infantryman whose cartoons of weary GIs, “Willie and Joe,” captured the mud-soaked misery and dark humor of the frontline soldier. Mauldin’s work became a lifeline for the troops and earned him a Pulitzer Prize.
This lecture will take you through the Mediterranean theater of World War II—North Africa, Sicily, and Italy—where the Allies forged the hard lessons and leadership that made victory in Europe possible.
Glenn Flickinger is historian, speaker, and host of the Veterans Breakfast Club's Greatest Generation Live, a livestreamed talk show about all things WWII. Retired from a long career as banker, business owner, and executive coach, Glenn now devotes himself full-time to his lifelong history obsession, lecturing widely and interviewing experts, authors, and veterans with stories to tell. In 2024, he launches a new weekly program, Masters of the Air Live, covering the history behind the Apple TV+ series. He will also lead a "Masters of the Air Tour" of Great Britain visiting museums, airfields, and other sites associated with the Air War over Europe.