Cunard Partners with The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation to Commemorate Service of World War II Veterans on August 4 Transatlantic Crossing

On this 8-night voyage departing from Southampton, England, guests will have the opportunity to attend lectures and interact with several WWII veterans, hearing first-hand about their experiences during America's involvement in the war. From the "Battle of the Atlantic," to the conflicts in Normandy and Pearl Harbor, these distinguished war heroes will engage in discussions and Q&A's, giving guests a very personal glimpse into the human elements of wartime service.

"Cunard played a pivotal role in World War II, with our liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth transported as troop ships, and together carried over 1.5 million servicemen across the Atlantic, to and from the field of battle," said Josh Leibowitz, senior vice president, Cunard North America. "We are honored to partner with The Greatest Generations Foundation to offer our guests this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet these decorated veterans."  

Actual WWII veterans scheduled to be on board will include American veterans Arthur Staymates, who stormed Omaha beach in D-Day's first wave with German machine-gun fire hammering on the door of his landing craft; Joseph Reilly, who parachuted into Normandy five hours before the seaborne landing; Douglas Dillard, who made his first parachute combat jump in August 1944 in the South of France; Jack Holder, who was a Naval Flight Engineer stationed on the Island of Oahu and had to take cover during the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor; Michael Ganitch, who served on the USS Pennsylvania and witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor; and Stuart Hedley, also at Pearl Harbor, who recalls leaping from his ship into the water and coming up amid debris and burning oil and swimming for his life towards the shoreline.

Canadian veteran Kenneth Scott, who served in the Royal Canadian Navy and saw wartime action aboard the RMS Aquitania, will also join the voyage. With a normal troop capacity of 7,400, the RMS Aquitania was among the select group of large, fast former passenger ships capable of sailing independently without escort transporting large numbers of troops that were assigned worldwide as needed.  

Q&A's and other discussions with the WWII veterans will cover topics including:

• The Battle of the Atlantic: How the Allies Won the War
• Pearl Harbor: An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor
• The Dead & Those About To Die: The Big Red One At Omaha Beach
• Normandy: D-Day with the Screaming Eagles
• Battle of the Bulge: Alamo in the Ardennes

Cunard is pleased to offer on this voyage an on board credit of up to $250 per stateroom to veterans, retired and active-duty personnel.

For more information about Cunard and to book a voyage, contact your Travel Agent, call Cunard toll-free at 1-800-728-6273, or visit www.cunard.com.

Cunard
Defining true excellence at sea with over 176 years of legendary voyages, Cunard is the operator of luxury ocean liners Queen Mary 2^®, Queen Victoria^® and Queen Elizabeth^®. Renowned for impeccable White Star Service, gourmet dining and world-class entertainment, all three Queens offer luxury on a grand scale in Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill and Queens Grill accommodation. Cunard is the only line to offer regularly scheduled Transatlantic service and continues the legacy of world cruising which it began in 1922.

Awarded '#1 Mega-Ship Ocean Cruise Line' by Travel + Leisure's 2016 World's Best Awards and 'Best World Cruise Itineraries' and 'Best Trans-Atlantic Itineraries' by Porthole Cruise Magazine's 2016 Readers Choice Awards, Cunard is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines, a part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the largest cruise vacation company in the world. Together Cunard, Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK) operate 102 ships visiting over 700 ports around the world and totaling 226,000 lower berths.

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Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation
The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation is an International non-governmental organization (INGO) dedicated to honoring the sacrifices of veterans by returning them to their former battlegrounds, cemeteries and memorials to ensure that their legacies are recorded and retold in perpetuity to future generations. Through veterans' first-hand accounts of their experiences, history comes to life and a greater understanding of our world today is found. Visit online at: http://www.tggf.org/.

For additional information about Cunard, contact:
Jackie Chase, Cunard, 661-753-1035, [email protected]
Maria Andriano, MGA Media Group, 212-251-1015, [email protected]

SOURCE Cunard Line

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