Dr. John Curatola to Lecture on Rolling Thunder: A Failure in Gradualism

Kansas City (MO)…On Monday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m., the National Archives will host Dr. John Curatola who will discuss Rolling Thunder: A Failure in Gradualism. A free light reception will precede the program at 6:00 p.m.

As America became increasingly involved in the conflict in South East Asia, it also leveraged airpower in an ever growing capacity. This use of airpower was not just for military purposes, but was used a means of diplomatic discourse. Curatola, professor of history at the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies at the Command and General Staff College, will focus his lecture on the air campaign executed from 1965 to 1968 over North Vietnam and address its failure to deter Communist resolve during the war.

This program is presented as a part of the Remembering Vietnam Program Series. Requests for ADA accommodations must be submitted five business days prior to events. Reservations are requested for this free program, rsvp to 816-268-8010 or kansascity.educate@nara.gov.

About the Speaker:

Dr. John Curatola is a retired Marine Corps officer of 22 years. His published works address the role air power and its efficacy in both peace and war. His recent book Bigger Bombs for a Brighter Tomorrow addresses the failings of the planned American air offensives during the atomic monopoly from 1945-1949. His current project entitled Autumn of Our Discontent, is a look at the intersection of national and international events in the fall of 1949 that resulted in the drafting of NSC-68 in spring 1950.

The National Archives at Kansas City is home to historical records dating from the 1820s to the 1990s created or received by Federal agencies in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. For more information, call 816-268-8000 or visit www.archives.gov/kansas-city/.    

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LPM/LE – KC18-08