WHITE PLAINS, NY — County Executive Robert P. Astorino invites history enthusiasts and those interested in the art of war to a multimedia presentation about one of the toughest battles in the Pacific theater during World War II, Saturday, February 25, 2 p.m. at Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial in Somers.
“This presentation shows the valor of the men and women in our armed forces in the face of a determined enemy,” Astorino said.
Historian Patrick J. Chaisson, a retired U.S. Army officer, will present “Saipan: The Friction of War,” a presentation about one of the war’s most brutal and controversial battles.
Saipan, located in the Mariana Islands, was a strategic objective in the Central Pacific for the United States. About 50,000 Marines and soldiers of the 27th Infantry Division (formerly a New York National Guard unit) stormed ashore on June 15, 1944. Allied commanders planned to capture Saipan in three days but the fighting went on for six weeks and Chaisson will discuss what went wrong with the offensive.
The program, which will be held in Lasdon’s main house, is free but donations are welcome.
Visitors are encouraged to stop by the Westchester Veterans Museum, adjacent to the main house, where a multi-media exhibit commemorating the bombing of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 will be on view.
Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial is a Westchester County Park that is located on Route 35 in Somers.
Go to parks.westchestergov.com or call (914) 864-7268. Information about the park is also available on the Friends of Lasdon Web site at lasdonpark.org.