|
|
| |
|
|
 |
 |
|
| |
|
Embassies
of Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary and Estonia
Host
Reception for the Cold War Museum.
|
| |
WASHINGTON, DC, September 16
-On Wednesday, September 15 at the Lithuanian
Embassy the Ambassadors of Lithuania, Hungry,
Latvia, and Estonia pledged their support
for the creation of the Cold War Museum. During
the reception remarks were made by Undersecretary
of Defense Walter B. Slocombe, Ambassador
Stasys Sakalauskas of the Lithuanian Embassy,
Ambassador Geza Jeszenszky of the Hungarian
Embassy, Ambassador Ojars Kalnins of the Latvian
Embassy, Ambassador Kalev Stoicescu of the
Estonian Embassy, and Francis Gary Powers,
Jr., founder of the Cold War Museum.
During the reception several Cold War artifacts
were donated to the Museum, including a copy
of Declaration of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters
in 1944-1952 and a piece of barbed wire from
the Hungarian border as a symbol of the "Iron
Curtain". "The Cold War Museum is honored
to receive the support of Lithuania, Latvia,
Hungary, and Estonia. It is important that
we continue to work together to preserve Cold
War history from former eastern block countries
so that future generations will not forget
the sacrifices that were made from the end
of World War II to the collapse of the Soviet
Union," said Mr. Powers.
Undersecretary W.B.Slocombe underlined in
his statement that the Cold War was a time
of tragedy for enslaved nations and it was
a time of barbed wire stretched across Europe's
heart. Mr. Slocombe noticed that while for
some, the Cold War is already a fading memory,
for many, it is not a memory at all.
Ambassador of Lithuania S. Sakalauskas emphasized
that people of goodwill must remember and
learn from the history. The end of the Cold
War opened new opportunities for Central and
Eastern European nations as well as for the
United States. The ambassador called for the
support in accelerating the membership of
Lithuania and other aspirant countries into
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. "This
would truly mark the end of the division of
Europe", said Mr. Sakalauskas.
In 1996, Mr. Powers founded the Cold War Museum
to help educate future generations about the
impact of the Cold War on society. A mobile
exhibit about the U-2 Incident and his father,
U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, is currently
traveling around the country promoting interest
in a permanent museum to be located in the
Washington, DC metropolitan area.
The mobile exhibit has been shown at the Bodø
Aviation Center, Norway; the National Reconnaissance
Office; the Central Intelligence Agency; the
National War College, the Defense Intelligence
Agency; George Mason University, Clinch Valley
College; the National Security Agency's Cryptologic
Museum, the USAF Museum; the Strategic Air
Command Museum; the George C. Marshall Museum;
and the Pima Air and Space Museum. The U-2
exhibit is currently on display at the National
Atomic Museum and will be exhibited there
until October 1, 1999. Over the next six months
the exhibit will travel to the Allied Museum
in Berlin, Germany and the Newseum in Arlington,
Virginia.
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
