Francis Gary Powers Jr to Visit Moscow on 50Th Anniversary of U-2 Incident
VINT HILL, Va. — April 20, 2010— Francis Gary Powers, Jr., the Founder of The Cold War Museum, announced today that he will visit Moscow, Russia April 29 through May 10 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U-2 Incident.
Powers is the son of Francis Gary Powers, a CIA pilot whose U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960 causing an international Cold War incident. The senior Powers was tried as a spy and was held in Soviet custody until 1962, when he was traded for Rudolph Abel, a Soviet KGB agent who had been captured by the United States in the late 1950s.
“I am excited about this trip to Moscow in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of my father’s shoot down,” said the junior Powers. “This trip will not only help commemorate this anniversary but also will help promote The Cold War Museum I founded in 1996 to honor Cold War veterans and preserve Cold War history.”
The Cold War Museum is under construction in Vint Hill, Virginia, a former Cold War Army communication base 40 miles from Washington, D.C. The Museum will fill a substantial void in the interpretation of post-World War II history. The Museum's goal of educating current and future generations about this critical period in international relations and provide a tangible setting to explore this topic within an historical context.
While in Moscow, Powers will participate in a Round Table Symposium at the Central Armed Forces Museum where the U-2 spy plane wreckage is displayed, lecture at the U.S. Embassy about the U-2 Incident and visit various location associated with the Cold War in general and the U-2 Incident in particular. On May 9, Powers plans to attend the annual Victory Day Parade, marking the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II.
“What most people fail to realize is that the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II is also the 65th anniversary of the start of the Cold War,” Powers said. “In order to better understand the world today, it is essential to understand how the Cold War impacted international relations between 1945 and 1991. This trip is the start of what I hope will be a vibrant conversation and commitment to building The Cold War Museum.”
Powers is currently seeking volunteers, donors and sponsors to assist with opening the new museum facility. ”Our primary goal is to educate future generations about this important historical period that is all but lost to the current generation of students,” Powers said. “As the Cold War fades further and further from our collective memory, it is even more crucial for us to preserve these oral histories and artifacts for all time.”
For further information, interview scheduling or photography, please contact Francis Gary Powers, Jr., (703) 273-2381; e-mail, gpowersjr@coldwar.org.
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