Gary Powers, Jr.

WEDNESDAY: May 2, 2012 2:00 P.M. in the H.J.E. Reid Auditorium.
(video) within the Langley firewall only

Abstract

This year marks the 52nd anniversary of pilot Francis Gary Power’s U-2 Incident. Looking at the U-2 Incident from a son’s perspective, Gary Powers Jr. will talk about the U-2 Incident of May 1, 1960 in which his father was shot down over the former Soviet Union while working for the CIA. He will discuss the misinformation that still circulates regarding the incident; including a NASA cover story, and how recently declassified files have helped to set the record straight as to what actually happened. Mr. Powers will share what it was like growing up in the shadow of a famous father and his passion to honor Cold War veterans and the need to preserve Cold War history.

Speaker

Born in Burbank, California in 1965, Francis Gary Powers, Jr. has dedicated his life to public service and nonprofit management. He has worked with boards of directors, chambers of commerce, teachers, students, volunteers, members of Congress, members of the Virginia General Assembly, related staff members, and a variety of national, regional, and local business, nonprofit, and community leaders. He has previously testified before the Congressional House Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands and the General Laws Committee of the Virginia General Assembly. In 1996, he founded the Cold War Museum to “honor Cold War veterans and preserve Cold War history”. In October 2010 he was presented with a proclamation by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter and Clerk of the House of Delegates, Bruce Jamerson, on behalf of the Virginia General Assembly for his work to establish The Cold War Museum in Fauquier County. He has published numerous articles on the U-2 incident and Cold War history.