2006 Annual Symposium: Okinawa
September 16-17, 2006

The symposium this year highlights the first six months of the Pacific War during which the United States and its allies suffered a series of devastating defeats.

Greatly weakened after the surprise Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, there was a domino effect of losses, including Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaya, etc. At the Battle of the Java Sea, in late February and early March 1942, the Japanese Navy finally defeated the plucky, but outmanned and outgunned, Asiatic Fleet. In fact, U.S. and Allied forces and resources were stretched thin across the entire area, and it was not until the Battle of the Coral Sea that a glimmer of hope appeared - setting the stage for the Battle of Midway, which became a turning point for the war in the Pacific.

Invited historians, scholars and veterans will present different perspectives on a variety of topics. The following topics and presenters are scheduled:

Saturday

• Japan's Forces and Objectives - Allied Forces in the Pacific
  - Donald Goldstein, author of numerous books on Pearl Harbor and Editor of the translation of Ugaki's Diary.
• Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Wake Island
  - Albert A. Nofi, author and historian
- BGen Vicente Blaz, teenager on Guam in WWII
• American, British, Dutch, Australian Naval Actions
  - James Hornfischer, author and historian
  - Art Nicholson, author of a book about the sinking of HMS Repulse and Prince of Wales

Sunday

• Allied Territorial Losses - Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, Burma, and the Dutch East Indies:
  - BGen J. Hagen, USMC, author and historian
  - Inez Jongenburger, Dutch civilian on Java, POW
  - Preston Holcomb, USN, served abord the USS Tulsa, one of the last three surviving ships of the Asiatic Fleet
• The Fall of the Philippines - Bataan, Corregidor, MacArthur's Exodus
  - Richard Frank, author of book, Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire
- Richard Meixsel, author of books on the Philippine-American Military History
• Historian's Roundtable - New Guinea and Battle of Coral Sea
  - Historians: Frank, Goldstein, Hagen, Hornfischer, Meixsel and Nicholson

Veterans are being contacted and will relate their experiences on these topics. Paul Stillwell, historian, author and founding editor of Naval History magazine will be the Moderator.

This year's sponsors are: The Admiral Nimitz Foundation, The Texas Historical Commission, St. Edward's University - Austin, TX, the Fredericksburg Independent School District, the U.S. Naval Institute - Annapolis, MD, Texas Tech University, and the Exxon Mobil Volunteer Involvement Program.

Fredericksburg is 70 miles form San Antonio on IH 10 and 75 miles from Austin on 290W. Air service is available to San Antonio and Austin on major carriers. For accommodation and information about other local attracts, please contact the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-888-997-3600 or visit their Web site at www.fredericksburg-texas.com.