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An Evening with Gary Powers Jr.On May 1, 1960, Soviet forces shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane, capturing CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers and triggering one of the Cold War’s most consequential confrontations. His trial, imprisonment, and eventual exchange for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel made him an international symbol of the struggle between Washington and Moscow.
Join his son, author Gary Powers Jr., for an evening exploring the mission, Soviet captivity, and the spy exchange depicted in Bridge of Spies. Drawing on personal records, declassified documents, and research for his book Spy Pilot, Powers examines the controversy that followed his father home despite his exoneration — and his own search to uncover the truth behind a public reputation shaped by secrecy, suspicion, and Cold War politics.
At each of our events you can expect a warm atmosphere, an ability to network as well as complimentary refreshments.
RSVP is recommended, donations welcomed. RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/title-shot-down-over-the-soviet-union-the-u-2-incident-tickets-2003579562406?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true
Francis Gary Powers Jr. is an author, lecturer, and founder and chairman emeritus of the Cold War Museum in Vint Hill, Virginia. The son of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, whose capture by the Soviet Union in 1960 sparked an international crisis, he has devoted decades to researching his father’s legacy and preserving Cold War history. His books include Letters from a Soviet Prison, Spy Pilot, coauthored with Keith Dunnavant, and Enemy Territory. He served as a consultant on Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study, assisting the National Park Service in identifying historic sites for preservation. He lectures internationally and holds master’s degrees in public administration and U.S. history.
Senate Square Society, an organization that is opposed to the current Russian regime and fully supports Ukrainian independence and territorial integrity.
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Address: 301 Maryland Ave NE, Washington D.C., DC, United States, Washington, District of Columbia 20002
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