LEXINGTON, Va. Sept. 12, 2023 — The George C. Marshall Foundation will host a lecture by U.S. Army strategist, Tom Arnold, on a public relations scandal of World War II on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 5:30 p.m., at their building located on VMI Parade Avenue on Virginia Military Institute post.

The event is part of the Legacy Lecture series. It is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.  

In his talk, Arnold will discuss how in 1941, the U.S. Army faced its first public relations scandal of World War II, after a unit of American soldiers was punished for catcalling a group of women wearing shorts. The controversy centered on changing social norms and revealed different expectations of how the American people believed their Army should treat citizen-soldiers in peacetime. 

A reception will follow the lecture. To make reservations and for more information, email events@marshallfoundation.org or call 540-463-7103, ext. 138. The presentation will also be livestreamed on the Marshall Foundation’s YouTube channel https://bit.ly/2Or0E8D. A recording of the lecture will be available to view free online immediately after the event. 

-VMI-