2018 Speaker Event Highlight - WWII history and special guest speakers

We are catching up on some of the many events of the last quarter of the year... enjoy and get ready to participate in ongoing worthwhile events and programming in 2019.

October 27, 2018

Franky Ortega, a National Board-Certified Teacher at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, presented a terrific overview of Birmingham General Hospital and how it has been transformed today.

He tied in several valley landmarks with historical perspective on WWII covering Lake Balboa Park, Birmingham General Hospital, Van Nuys Airport and Jue Joe Ranch.

A packed house listened intently to Franky discuss aspects of WWII.  


Several special guests spoke at the event, one of which is the granddaughter of Soo-Yin Jue. She walked attendees through the history of the Jue Joe Ranch, an old ranch with roots in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Portions of the ranch are still visible today off of Vanowen just east of Balboa. The Museum was very appreciative of her presentation, which is a big part of valley history.

Also speaking was a WWII Lieutenant Colonel Richard Kinder, a former prisoner of war, aftern being shot down on his 13th mission and was captured by the Third Reich!

(The Nazi rise to power brought an end to the Weimar Republic, a parliamentary democracy established in Germany after World War I. Following the appointment of Adolf Hitler as chancellor on January 30, 1933, the Nazi state (also referred to as the Third Reich) quickly became a regime in which Germans enjoyed no guaranteed basic rights. After a suspicious fire in the Reichstag (the German Parliament), on February 28, 1933, the government issued a decree which suspended constitutional civil rights and created a state of emergency in which official decrees could be enacted without parliamentary confirmation). 

Head of Wings Over Wendy's spoke too about the incredible heroism of veterans during this time. 

Wings Over Wendy's social group of WWII, Korean, Vietnam and other veterans meet every Monday morning in Woodland Hills. This incredible group also offers free speaking events about WWII history to any school or group in the valley.

A number of Birmingham High School graduates also attended and enjoyed reminiscing about the good ol' days while in high school and in this portion of the valley.

Additional photos of the event. Paul Denztel, (below right), who is also a historian really enjoyed the event too.

All in all an incredible event!

Thank you to everyone who participated and attended.