An exciting month of events at the Sierra Madre Public Library is set to begin centered on the novel Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand -- Sierra Madre’s 2013 One Book One City selection.
With the book in mind, the following programs focus on a World War II theme and are free and open to all ages.
- Children’s Airplane Flying Contest -- Saturday, February 2 at 10:00 a.m. Get ready for planes to fly at the Library. Expect more giggles than world records as children, ages six through twelve, assemble their own foam airplanes (representing WWII aircraft) and race them to see who the best pilot is. Children will be divided into age groups to fly their planes and will receive coaching and tips from experts in the field.
- WWII Historian-Dan King -- Saturday, February 9 at 10:00 a.m. King, author of The Last Zero Fighter: Firsthand Accounts from Japanese WWII Naval Pilots and Airmen, will give a presentation with Q&A after. He travelled extensively to Japan to interview Japanese pilots and documents the personal experiences of WWII Japanese naval aviators. His website: http://www.historicalconsulting.com/
- Book Discussion in addition to the Library’s regular Third Thursday Book discussion -- Thursday, February 21 at 11:00 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend a special discussion of Hillenbrand’s book on Monday evening, February 11 at 7:00 p.m.
- WWII Veterans Share Their Stories -- Saturday, February 23 at 10:00 a.m. Veterans, including local resident, Mitsuo Kunihiro, who were part of the 442nd Go For Broke regiment, will be speaking. The 442nd was a fighting unit composed almost entirely of American soldiers of Japanese descent who volunteered to fight in World War II even though their families were subject to internment. The 442nd fought primarily in Europe and is considered to be the most decorated infantry regiment in the history of the United States Army. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team motto was, "Go for Broke".
- WWII Aircraft -- Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. A speaker from Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino will be here to talk about aircraft of WWII. The Museum has over 150 aircraft, more than 50 of which are flyable. The Mission of Planes of Fame is to preserve aviation history, inspire interest in aviation, educate the public, and honor aviation pioneers and veterans. Their website is: http://planesoffame.org/
For more information about events at the library, visit www.cityofsierramadre.com/departments/library.
