Presenter's Approach:
The only daughter of Private First Class Tom Kennedy, a World War II veteran and survivor of the Battle of Iwo Jima, Mary Beth Kennedy Voda brings a delightfully warm and personal aspect to this astounding story.

“A War in Letters,” is the story of the buildup to the battle for Iwo Jima.  It is the story of Tom and Milly Kennedy, young marrieds with two children, who are separated for 17 months toward the end of WWII. And it is the story of two of the men preparing for the ultimate battle:  one the Japanese commander on Iwo Jima, Lt. Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi; the other one a U.S. Marine, Pfc. Tom Kennedy. 

“A War in Letters” is a first-person account of war, of worrying, and of waiting.  Using the letters that Tom and Milly Kennedy wrote to each other during their separation (sometimes as many as three a day) as well as the letters Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi wrote to his wife and children in Tokyo, we are given insights into the personalities and thoughts of these two men.  Although they are separated by age, culture and ideology, their ties to home join them in a bond that is personal as well as universal.  “A War in Letters’ offers us an insight into an important era in recent world and domestic history.

As proof that interest in WWII remains high, veterans and their relatives continue to swamp the Military Records Center in St. Louis, MO with requests for information. “We’re overwhelmed,” said a spokesperson for the center.  “Interest has been enormous since the 50^th anniversary of the end of the war in 1995.”   Says another World War II veteran, Senator Bob Dole, “It was half a century ago, and in another 50 years there will be no one left to tell the story.  We cannot rely on fragile memories alone.” 

Results:    
Participants will:

• Learn about and commemorate a major event in World War II in a way that will touch each person and make the story come to life, thus enhancing retention

• Understand and experience the emotions felt by so many during that era - unrelenting fear, confusion and worry, but also a sense of duty, triumph and joy

• Appreciate the similarities and the differences between American and Japanese ideologies and experiences, as shown through the letters of the two soldiers to their families

Price Range:
$300
Plus travel expenses for locations outside of a 30 mile radius.

Logistical Factors:
Hosting organization must provide the following:

• a lectern or podium 

• a large screen television, elevated so that audience can easily view it

• a DVD or VCR player with remote control

• a sound system & microphone (depending upon group size and room acoustics)

• bottled water for the presenter 

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About the Presenter:
Mary Beth Kennedy Voda is a native of Roselle, New Jersey, a graduate of Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, PA and the University of Scranton where she received her Master’s degree.

A reading and English teacher in the Wyalusing School District for 25 years, she and her husband, John are the parents of John and Matt and the grandparents of Taylor, Matthew and Erin. Now retired from public school teaching, Ms. Voda is an adjunct instructor for Keystone College, LaPlume, PA and has taught classes for Penn State University.

A freelance writer, Ms. Voda’s work has appeared in American History, Pennsylvania Heritage, Pennsylvania, Susquehanna Life, and Spark magazines.  It has also appeared in the Towanda Daily Review and the Wyalusing Rocket newspapers.  She also wrote and recorded 22 profiles of noted Pennsylvania women.  The series was broadcast on WVIA-FM, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre public radio affiliate during National Women’s History Month.

Presently, Ms. Voda is working on a novel entitled From Shoebox to Saltbox as well as other profiles of interesting people.

What People Are Saying:
“The talk was so interesting.  It referred to exactly what I saw on Iwo Jima.”  
Marine Pfc. Kenneth Bodner, Wyalusing, PA, 5^th Division, 
4^th Parachute Battalion – veteran of the battle for Iwo Jima 

“I liked the way you spoke about a soldier’s personal feelings as he went into battle.  We all felt the way your father did.”  
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Stevens, Camptown, PA - 
Veteran of Army Amphibious Forces in the Pacific Theater 

“You provided moving insights into the minds and family lives of two very different men who knew they might never return to the lives they left.”  
John Kirk, Dushore, PA 

“The audience listened intently to Mary Beth Voda’s thought-provoking presentation which brought to life two WWII figures on opposite sides of the battle for Iwo Jima.”  
Nancy and Howard Wilson, Camptown, PA.

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For more information or to request this program, contact Kim at:
Dynamic Demos, Speakers & Seminars
51 Comstock Rd Tunkhannock PA 18657
Phone:  (570) 241-6807    Email:  kim@dydemos.com
     

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