World War II Survival Story

Past event
Mar 1, 2021, 1:30 to 2:30 PM

The Subject: World War II Survival Story

Please join us on Monday, March 1 at 1:30 as author Alison O'Leary presents a true story with dramatic images. On May 19, 1942, a U-boat in the Gulf of Mexico stalked its prey fifty miles from New Orleans. Captained by 29-year-old Erich Wurdemann, the submarine set its sights on the freighter Heredia with 62 souls on board.

Most were merchant seamen, but there were also a handful of civilians, including the Downs family: Ray and Ina, and their two children, eight-year-old Sonny and eleven-year-old Lucille. Fast asleep in their berths, the Downs family had no idea that two torpedoes were heading their way.

Quoting from Commander Wurdemann's War Diary, the story adds balance and perspective to war narratives by chronicling the daring mission of the U-boat and its commander's decision-making in the Gulf of Mexico.

The program is sponsored by the Community Senior Center and the Richmond Historical Society with a grant from the VT Humanities Council. For the link contact jane@cscvt.org

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