Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF) will host guest speaker Francis Gary Powers Jr., Saturday, Nov. 6 during the 24th Annual Military Ball at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Powers is the best-selling author of “Spy Pilot” and a leading authority on Cold War history.

Powers is the son of Air Force veteran Francis Gary Powers Sr., an American CIA U-2 spy plane pilot shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960. Powers, who recently wrote “Spy Pilot,” was a consultant on the film “Bridge of Spies,” the subject of which was the spy exchange involving his father.

Captured by the KGB and imprisoned, Powers Sr. was subjected to a televised show trial. A spy exchange was brokered by Charles Donovan between KGB spy Rudolph Abel and Powers. On his return to the U.S., Powers Sr. was exonerated of any wrongdoing while imprisoned in Russia, yet a cloud of controversy lingered until his death in 1977.

The U-2 event, which was one of the leading news stories in the early 1960s and considered a major political and diplomatic Cold War incident, will be the subject of Powers’ presentation at the Military Ball. The talk will be delivered in the context of his father’s experience and that of veterans today.

Powers’ father’s career experiences, government secrecy, and the controversy that surrounded them were instrumental in launching Powers Jr.’s career as an author, historian and lecturer. It was also the impetus for his ongoing effort to shine a permanent light on Cold War veterans and their rightful place in U.S. history.

In “Spy Pilot,” Powers sets the record straight by researching old audio tapes, the transcript of his father’s debriefing by the CIA, other recently declassified documents about the U-2 program, and interviews with his military colleagues. 

Powers keeps Cold War history alive through his work as the founder and chairman emeritus of The Cold War Museum, a nonprofit charity. He founded the museum in 1996 to honor Cold War veterans, preserve Cold War history, and educate future generations about this time period.

As chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study, he works with the National Park Service and leading Cold War experts to identify historic Cold War sites for commemorating, interpreting and preservation. 

Powers’ work is aligned with the PCVF mission, which is, based on the words of Pierre Claeyssens: “To be killed in a war is not the worst that can happen. To be lost is not the worst. To be forgotten is the worst.”

“The whole purpose of the Cold War Museum, and what I’ve been doing to honor veterans and preserve history, is that I don’t want the Cold War veteran to be forgotten or overlooked,” Powers said. “We must embrace all of our veterans, from the Revolutionary War to the present. We need to honor them, respect them and thank them for their service.

“We must make sure that our children understand the important job that they do so that we’re free at home.”

Powers is adamant about “doing everything I can to make sure that people, especially students, are aware of what the Cold War was. Why it took place. Everything that is happening in the world today is a direct result of the end of the Cold War. There are tie-ins to the Cold War and the war on terror and a lot of people just don’t understand that.

“So to me, it’s very important to recognize it, and specifically, the veterans who served during the time period. If it wasn’t for our veterans who served in the Cold War — their sacrifices, including death — we would be in a much different state of affairs right now.”

Tickets to the Military Ball are $175 per guest. Enhanced COVID-19 health and safety measures will be in place and space is limited to 300 guests. For tickets, visit https://www.pcvf.org/military-ball.

COVID-19 protocols: Patrons of all ages (including children 12 years old and younger) must show proof of being fully vaccinated, or supply a negative Covid medical test result (taken within 72 hours of the event), along with an official photo ID, before entering. Masks are currently required indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

The Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort has taken extra precautions for the safety of staff and guests. Engineering has replaced the standard MERV 8 filters with all new, higher value MERV 13 filters specifically designed to eliminate circulation of airborne microbes; installed sterilizing UV light systems on evaporator coils to irradiate and kill airborne microbes in the duct work before reaching the general air supply, and the system has been re-programed to inject 100% fresh air while eliminating recirculation of inside air.

Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation honors the men and women who have served in uniform at any time. PCVF supports veterans and active duty members, and related partner organizations, in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, as well as preserving military history and legacy. PCVF is funded entirely by private donations. For more information, visit pcvf.org or call 805-259-4394.