RETURNING THE SWORD: A Book Presentation April 18
RETURNING THE SWORD: A Book Presentation
By Caren Stelson. Illustrated by Amanda Yoshida.
Come join us.
Saturday, April 18, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Plank Museum and Visitor Center
Fort Snelling
200 Tower Ave, St. Paul
Award-winning author Caren Stelson will share the story and picture book of WWII Veteran Captain Oval Amdahl’s heartfelt decision to return a Japanese sword he brought home as a war souvenir to its original Nagasaki owner 68 years after war's end. Returning the Sword offers reflections on peace, reconciliation, and friendship across cultures—words and deeds we so need today.
A panel discussion will follow to speak to family ties, moral injury, and what Orval’s story means to us today. Mark Ritchie, former Secretary State and Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Emeritus, will join us for this discussion.
Fort Snelling invites all ages to this event (Picture books are for everyone. Especially this one). The event is free and open to the public as is the Visitor Center’s fascinating exhibits of Minnesota History, including the WWII Japanese Military Language Camp.
For more information about Caren’s books: www.carenstelson.com.
Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. https://www.mnhs.org/fortsnelling/activities/visitor-center. Visiting Historic Fort Snelling's exhibits or touring the historic fort requires site admission.
Panel participants:
• Lori Harrington is the granddaughter of Orval and Marie Amdahl and owner of Renew House, a kitchen and bath remodeling company.
• Amy Blumenshine, with a MSW, MART, and PhD, has been called to specialized ministry as a Lutheran Deacon to address the suffering of military veterans and their families. She co-authored Welcome Them Home; Help Them Heal. Her area of scholarship is Military Moral Injury.
• Kimmy Tanaka is the Senior Director of Inclusion, outreach and Community Engagement at the Minnesota Historical Society and an involved member of JACL (Japanese American Citizen League.
• Mark Ritchie, the former Minnesota Secretary of State of Minnesota, is presently a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, Board Chair of the Military Historical Society of Minnesota, and life-member of the Association of the US Army.
