The History Center of SLO County invites everyone to join us, our partner organizations, and our business sponsors in observing “World War II Commemoration Week” April 24 – May 1. A series of free public events will begin on Sunday afternoon, April 24, with a walking tour of downtown San Luis Obispo. Each day thereafter through the following Sunday will be marked by walking tours, film screenings, lectures, exhibit launches, and panels that reveal the untold stories and unsung heroes of that critical period in our County’s history.
Awards Luncheon April 30, Noon, Dallidet Adobe and Gardens
The “centerpiece” of the WW II Commemoration Week will occur on Saturday, April 30 – the one event for which tickets must be purchased. The History Center will honor six individuals and one organization with its Awards Luncheon with a catered barbecue and music, set amid the splendid Spring displays of the Dallidet Garden. We will also use that occasion to note with deep sadness the 80th Anniversary of the expulsion of our Japanese American neighbors from the County in 1942.
The History Center of San Luis Obispo is partnering with the South County Historical Society, Historical Society of Morro Bay, Morro Bay Maritime Museum, and Central Coast Veterans Museum to host a full roster of nine free public events that all relate to the theme of World War II Commemoration Week: “Fighting the Enemy Overseas – Facing Discrimination at Home.”
Two walking tours will “bookend” the week in San Obispo, resurrecting stories of how the advent of the war transformed our segregated society and forged our modern era with its focus on civil rights and an end to “Jim Crow.” An evening in nearby Guadalupe will feature a film devoted to the memory of thousands of young Filipino men who left their work in the nearby farms and enlisted in the 1st and 2nd Filipino Regiments, liberating their homeland from Japanese occupation and colonization. In Pismo Beach, a “living history” presentation will reveal the long-neglected story of the 54th Coast Artillery, a highly-trained Black regiment from the Deep South who brought eight 155-millimeter cannon to the hillsides above Shell Beach and Estero Bay to protect our oil terminals from Japanese attack. The Veterans Museum will host a “World War II Movie Night” and a lecture on Central Coast Aviators in World War II.
In Morro Bay, a special evening at the Museum of Natural History will unveil a major new exhibit by the State Parks on the impact of WW II throughout the Central Coast – bringing a special focus on the December 1941 sinking of the SS Montebello in the waters off Cayucos. In Arroyo Grande, the South County Museum in the old IOOF Hall will host a talk on how that city experienced WW II – with a special focus honoring those 211 Japanese American residents who were expelled from their homes and businesses 80 years earlier.
The intent of World War II Commemoration Week is to honor and give tribute to ALL those who served our nation’s struggle against our common enemy of the Third Reich and Japanese Imperialism. As we mobilized for war in the Spring of 1942, people of the Central Coast were justifiably terrified of the power of our enemies, and that military threat had been brought directly to our shores as we rescued the crew of the SS Montebello from the rocky shores of the North Coast. History now records that World War II ended not only with military victory, but with the establishment of institutions that fostered a peaceful world order committed to human rights, democracy, and respect for national sovereignty and the common aspirations of humanity. We hope that all our citizens, throughout the County, will take time to reflect upon the brave men and women who endured enormous sacrifices of their property, their liberty, and in many cases their lives to achieve victory in World War II and kindle the hopes for a lasting peace.
The History Center gratefully acknowledge our business sponsors: Villa Automotive, Nick Tompkins/NKT Commercial, Morris & Garritano, Andre Morris & Buttery, Karson Butler Events, Blakeslee & Blakeslee, Mechanics Bank, James Murphy Law Office, Martin Resorts, New Times, The Tribune, Pierre Rademaker, Steve Lombardi & Associates, and Mason Bar & Kitchen
A full schedule of these events can be found at historycenterslo.org/commemoration.