United States World War II Wall of Liberty Foundation

United States World War II Wall of Liberty Foundation www.usww2wolf.org [email protected] June 6, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The United States World War II Wall of Liberty Foundation has recently under gone a restructuring of it’s Board of Directors, forming a new action plan for fund raising, architecture, and construction of the Wall of Liberty Garden Memorial on UTAH Beach, near Ste-Marie-du-Mont., France. Four original board members, in accordance with WOLF's Constitution and By-Laws, have approved seven new members and elected 3 new Officers; first meeting of the new Board planned for mid-May 2006.

The new Board of Directors is as follows: President- M/Gen Charles Wilson USAF (retired) Vice President - Clifford Gibbons - son of Congressman (ret) Sam Gibbons, D-Day 101st AB Div. Treasurer - Lt/C Ron Hamrah USAF (retired) Secretary - Donald McKee - 175th Inf, 29th Div. WWII Jules Blutfield - 12th AAF Italy WWII L/G Ed Chavarrie - USAF (retired) M/G Boyd Cook - USA (retired) – Div. Cmdr. 29th Inf. Div.(1980's) Basil Paddock - ETO Service US Army, 1943-45 Mark Roche M/G J.Milner Roberts AUS (retired) – D-Day/AB Division Timothy Wood - son of Paul O. Wood, 531st Engineer Shore Regiment -WWII

Associates- Col. Tom Baker (retired) Pierre Colmant - Pierre M. Colmant, Ministre Plenipotentiaire Hon., Caen, France Henri Ormond - WWII Holocaust survivor; honorable service in US Army; has American passport; loves America passionately; is a semi-retired businessman in Metz, France; and is a close personal friend of Chuck Wilson since 1980.

Recent activities include a meeting on March 17, 2006 between Foundation members President Chuck Wilson, Secretary Don McKee, Congressman Sam Gibbons (retired), Vice President Clifford Gibbons, and the French Ambassador to the US Jean-David Levitte. Both sides discussed the next steps necessary to enable a joint effort between the Foundation and various agencies in the United States and France. The Ambassador is very supportive of the rejuvenated Board's objectives and will assist its efforts to raise funds to build the Memorial. Among other topics discussed was the Ambassador's suggestion that the Board consider a less expensive option with computer displays of the 66,000 veteran names we have plus names of all the veterans who served honorable in the liberation of Europe. The Board will examine his suggestion in its review of the current architectural design, which is approved by the US Commission on Fine Arts, and conditionally approved by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

State of Texas confirms that the Corporation which established the WOLF is "in good standing”. A letter to reinstate Wolf's 501c (3) tax-free status has been sent to the IRS and a favorable response is expected soon.

The President, Charles Wilson, and WOLF Advisor Henri Ormond, a semi-retired French Businessman, will soon visit Normandy. They expect to be accompanied by Advisor Pierre Colmant and Col. Mike Guillot, Defense Air Attaché in the American Embassy, whose father landed with the 4th Inf. Division on UTAH Beach on D-Day. The purpose is to discuss with Officials in Normandy:

(1) the creation of a sister foundation to WOLF for initiating fund-raising in France from French members of the French American Business Council (FABC). This effort will complement solicitation of funds in USA from American members of the FABC.

(2) consideration of Ambassador Levitte's suggestion in relation to the current approved design

(3) the development a plan to publicize a relationship between the Road of Liberty (Voie de la Liberty--2 meter high markers one KM apart from UTAH Beach across France and Luxembourg to Bastogne) and the Wall of Liberty, memorializing the liberation of Europe via the advance of US and Allied Forces across France, Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium.

(4) A meeting is being scheduled for Wilson/Ormond and Col Guillot with Ambassador Stapleton soon after the Normandy. We expect to secure his support and active involvement in raising funds from FABC members in France and the USA as well as Foundations in the US and France.

Future updates, news, and background info for the US WW2 Wall of Liberty Foundation will be made available at http://www.usww2wolf.org.

Contact: Donald M. McKee,Secretary 305 Northwest Dr. Silver Spring, MD 20901 [email protected]