Lexington Veterans Association (LVA)
2026 Speaker Series
LVA Programs use a hybrid system.
You may attend in person, or attend virtually by Zoom.
If you're on our email list, you will automatically receive an invitation.
Not on our list? Please register here.
You may attend in person, or attend virtually by Zoom.
If you're on our email list, you will automatically receive an invitation.
Not on our list? Please register here.
Each month the LVA hosts a speaker on a military-related topic. Program topics include veterans’ personal stories; historical analyses of military campaigns; national security and global issues; Lexington's unique Revolutionary history; and veteran health and well-being. Our programs are shared via Zoom to veterans in long term care at the Bedford VA Medical Center (VAMC).
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January 12, 2026
"Becoming Janet: Finding Myself in the Holocaust” Presented by Janet Singer Applefield, Holocaust Survivor and Author. On September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland, with nowhere to run or hide, Gustawa Singer’s parents gave her away to save her life. For the next several years, 7-year-old Gustawa lived a clandestine existence, harboring a secret that her looks hid so well: she was Jewish. Passed between strangers with both honorable and deceitful intentions, Gustawa maneuvered through terrifying situations with only the identity papers of a deceased Polish girl and a well-rehearsed cover story. She came to learn the importance of secrecy and resilience. Her quick wits and the courage of a few virtuous individuals combined to beat the odds. By the end of the war, over 90% of her town's Jews were annihilated; she was one of the few children to return. Janet will discuss her book and tell her personal story. 13, 2025 February 9, 2026
“The Polish Armed Forces in WWII” Presented by Bruce Jackan, US Army Veteran and Ann Hardt Williams, writer, researcher, and family historian. After the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 and the Soviet invasion from the east on Sep 17th, the government in Warsaw capitulated. Thousands of Polish servicemen escaped to France, then on to England, eager to continue the fight. In Poland, a massive resistance known as the Home Army conducted extensive sabotage, intelligence gathering, propaganda campaigns, and fought major battles like the 1944 Warsaw Uprising (Operation Tempest) to disrupt German forces and support the Allies. Polish forces in the east fought across Belarus and Ukraine into Poland and eventually the Battle of Berlin. In the west, ground troops were present in the siege of Tobruk, the Battle of Monte Cassino, and in battles following the invasion of France. Polish paratroopers fought in the Battle of Arnhem, while the 1st Polish Armored division fought in the Western Allied invasion of Germany. During the Battle of Britain, 145 Polish pilots flying British planes under British Command helped save England during its darkest hours. Throughout the war, the famed 303 Squadron was credited with destroying nearly 300 enemy aircraft, making it one of the most successful squadrons in the entire RAF Fighter Command. Bruce Jackan will present the major engagements of the Polish Armed Forces in WWII and Ann Hardt Williams will discuss her search for her Polish family’s WWII history. March 9, 2026
“Supporting the Allied Victory: The Yankee Division in France in World War I” Presented by Dan Leclerc, Educator and Historian. As the French battled for survival in Europe for three years, a unit of the 26th Yankee Division, based in Holyoke, Massachusetts, watched and waited for their activation. General Clarence Edwards, Division Commander, realized that his troops were woefully untrained for the combat they would soon encounter. He reached a bold and creative decision: the Yankee Division would travel to France now, before war was officially declared, and train with the hardened French troops who had years of fighting experience. This required developing partnerships with the Massachusetts business community to locate, outfit, and finance ships to transport the troops, and with French military commanders to train the raw YD recruits and get them into fighting shape. In April 1918, in four separate and brutal confrontations, the YD soldiers stopped four regiments of the famed Storm Battalion of the German Army and ultimately led the Germans to sue for peace. Dan will also introduce Holyoke socialite Belle Skinner, who financed the reconstruction of several devastated French villages after the war. April 13, 2026
"The American Revolution and the Fate of the World” Presented by Richard Bell, Author, Historian, and Educator. The American Revolution was not only the colonies’ triumphant liberation from the rule of an overbearing England; it was also a cataclysm that pulled in participants from around the globe and threw the entire world order into chaos. Repositioning the Revolution at the center of an international web, Bell’s narrative ranges as far afield as India, Africa, Central America, and Australia. As his lens widens, the “War of Independence” manifests itself as a sprawling struggle that upended the lives of millions of people on every continent and fundamentally transformed the way the world works, disrupting trade, restructuring penal systems, stirring famine, and creating the first global refugee crisis. Bell conveys the impact of these developments at home and abroad by grounding the narrative in the gripping stories of individuals—including women, minorities, and other disenfranchised people. The result is an unforgettable and unexpected work of American history that shifts everything we thought we knew about our creation story. May 11, 2026
“Legacy of the Skies: a Grandson’s Tribute to a Legendary Aviator” Presented by Doug Hall, freelance writer, podcaster, and grandson of Col. James Hall. Step into the incredible world of Colonel James Goodwin Hall (1896–1952), a decorated World War I and World War II pilot, trailblazing aviation pioneer, and one of the strategists behind the D-Day invasion as Director of Reconnaissance for the Eighth Air Force in World War II. From flying dangerous missions during World War I to earning accolades from President Roosevelt during World War II, Colonel Hall’s life and military service is the stuff of legend. A renaissance man of many talents, James Hall also left his mark as a Wall Street broker, auto and airplane industry executive, and co-partner in the establishment of the American Quarter Horse in racing. Whether racing airplanes, motorboats or his bay gelding named “Golden Eagle”, piloting cutting-edge seaplanes, or exploring the far reaches of the world, Hall lived life on his own terms—always chasing new horizons and pushing boundaries. Hall’s grandson Doug will tell this amazing story from his recently published biography. June 8, 2026
“Easter Offensive, Vietnam, 1972” Presented by Dan Breen, Senior Lecturer, Legal Studies, Brandeis University. In March of 1972, taking advantage of the gradual withdrawal of American troops, the North Vietnamese launched a massive invasion of South Vietnam. With 250,000 troops crossing the border, along with 600 tanks, it looked as if North Vietnam was about to win a decisive victory, one that might lead to the end of the war on its terms. What followed was an unexpected South Vietnamese recovery, made possible by one of the most successful tactical air campaigns in US history. In this presentation, Dan will tell the story of the Easter Offensive, a military victory for the South that nevertheless turned into a political victory for the North. September 14, 2026
"From Suffragette to War Worker: Stories of Women War Workers at Raytheon 1941-45” Presented by Chet Michalak, Principal Technical Support Engineer, Archivist and Historian, Raytheon Company, US Army veteran. This talk spans the 100-year fight for women’s rights, beginning with the Suffragette movement and the passing of the 19th amendment in 1920. It moves on to the great stock market crash on Black Monday in 1929, and the New Deal as a response to the Great Depression under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, before focusing on America’s entry in World War II in 1941. Suddenly, war plants all over America needed female workers. Here in Massachusetts, Raytheon aggressively advertised for women workers with recruitment posters, newspaper and radio ads. Soon, thousands of women were performing all types of electronic component production and assembly work from radar to radio tubes. At the insistence of Eleanore Roosevelt, the ranks of the military and other professions including Civil Defense, Red Cross, etc. became open to women. At war’s end on September 2, 1945, tens of thousands of women were immediately laid off. Many women, however, found newly earned access to jobs once held by men. Women workers had now become the new consumer demographic. Tuesday, October 13, 2026
““A War of Contradictions: The United States in Afghanistan” Presented by Ian McWilliams, US Army Veteran. Drawing from history, current events, and personal experiences as an infantry officer deployed to Kandahar, this presentation will examine, discuss, and reflect upon the internal contradictions that characterized the United States’ military strategy in Afghanistan for twenty years. A 2015 graduate of West Point, Ian was commissioned as an infantry officer and served for two years with the 10th Mountain Division before being deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2018. After returning stateside in 2019, he left active service in 2020 at the rank of captain and pursued his goal of becoming a teacher to make a difference, as his teachers had made in his life. Since 2023 he has taught English at Lexington High School. November 9, 2026
“A War of Their Own: Vietnam Central Highland Tribes War for Independence “ Presented by Dr. Will Chickering, Vietnam veteran, Author. In Vietnam, in 1967, William Chickering commanded a Mike Force battalion of Montagnards, highland tribesmen who were also members of a secret army, FULRO, whose aim was to rid the highlands of all Vietnamese, both communist and non-communist. Fighting for land and dignity, they saw the Vietnamese as colonialists and themselves as revolutionaries. For a while, FULRO appeared capable of changing the course of the war. Then, inexplicably, it faded away. Chickering’s quest to understand FULRO took him to Phnom Penh in 1973, where he found five of the six leaders, the sixth having been mysteriously murdered. He was unable to discern the truth behind their political smoke. Determined to learn the truth, Chickering moved to Cambodia 22 years later and joined FULRO leader Bhan. His research led him to the widow of a Cambodian Cham widely assumed to have been FULRO’s puppeteer and eventually to FULRO’s secret papers. From these he was able to piece together why FULRO - whose army and clandestine movement kept Hanoi, Saigon, and Washington guessing for years - faded away. December 14, 2026
“Benedict Arnold and the Battle of Valcour Island” Presented by Bob Lewis, Captain, US Navy, Retired. |
Would you like to watch past presentations now? Please click here.
Many past LVA presentations are now listed and available on this website and on YouTube.
We are constantly updating our collection.
Would you like to watch past presentations now? Please click here.
Many past LVA presentations are now listed and available on this website and on YouTube.
We are constantly updating our collection.