10:00 a.m. Presentation | 10:45 a.m. Unveiling

WWII P-38 combat fighter pilot Major Fredric Arnold died at age 96 on Memorial Day 2018—two years after completing the most ambitious and meaningful work of his life. Arnold’s monumental bronze sculpture Lest We Forget: The Mission, which depicts a preflight pilots’ briefing during World War II, was created to help ensure that future generations would understand the human cost of war and to honor the memory of the more than 88,000 US airmen who perished during the war.

Join us to celebrate the sculpture’s arrival at The National WWII Museum. Visiting speakers and Museum staff will discuss its creation and lasting significance at a dedication ceremony in Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, to be followed by an unveiling on Founders Plaza.

Major Arnold flew combat missions over North Africa, Sicily, and Italy during World War II. Lest We Forget: The Mission is a solemn tribute to the men he flew with during the war—and fittingly takes its place on our campus on Memorial Day weekend.

This event is free and open to the public. No registration is necessary.