Filmmaker to open WWII education centre in Rhode Island

World War II veteran Richard Fazzio said he wants to tell students about his experiences. The 93-year-old Fazzio piloted a boat that brought some of the first troops to Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion.

“I want to let them know what a great country this is and how a lot of people died to keep it free,” said Fazzio, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

Gray said it will be an interactive way to preserve veterans’ stories so future generations don’t forget their sacrifices. He’ll lead discussions about the films, the collection and veterans’ oral histories.

“We really want them to experience the personal side of war and what it cost people,” he said. “It’s taking the best of what other museums do and combining it with what we do.”

Gemma Birnbaum, at the National WWII Museum, said lessons from the war about global citizenship, empathy and immigration are relevant today. Birnbaum, director of the media and education centre at the museum in New Orleans, said she’s familiar with the foundation’s plans in Rhode Island.

“They have an ability to reach a community that doesn’t necessarily have access to these stories and this type of history,” she said Friday. “There’s a real need, so what they’re doing is important.”

There is a WWII museum in Natick, Massachusetts. A spokeswoman at the International Museum of World War II says they primarily host Massachusetts schools.

Jennifer McDermott, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Filmmaker to open WWII education centre in Rhode Island

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