In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, Patrick Dewane will present the dramatic retelling of the story of his grandfather, Matt Konop. Konop was raised on a family farm outside a small town in rural Wisconsin. Konop found himself fighting in Europe in WWII, eventually becoming a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. When he returned after the war, he never spoke of his war experiences, not even when asked by his grandchildren many years later. When he died in 1983, his family assumed Konop’s stories of war were buried with him.
However, 20 years later his unpublished memoirs were found in a box in a basement along with a treasure trove of pictures, videos, and other memorabilia. Unbeknownst to his family, Konop had spent some of his latter years writing his war stories for posterity. Through a mix of dramatic presentation, old photos and rare World War II film footage shot with a home movie camera, Dewane created a one-man show that tells his grandfather’s story – in his grandfather’s words. The tale is a journey through landing on Omaha Beach, facing off with Nazi soldiers in the Ardennes Forest, and liberating the small Czech towns where his ancestors lived.
Patrick Dewane will share the heroic story of Matt Konop, Thursday, September 3 at 6:30pm. A reception will follow. Attendance is free, but seating is limited so reservations are strongly recommended. To reserve your place, email reservations.bush@nara.gov, call (979) 691-4068, or visit bush41.org
