ABOUT US, IN BRIEF. . .
The Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque Heritage Center is about the small town that changed the world and left a message that resonates today: Individual people can make a difference, and everyone should try. We’re named for the once-renowned relief program that Dunkirk, NY, ran for its namesake and sister city, Dunkerque, France, which had been devastated in World War 2. People back in 1946 called it “Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque.” The achievement took a unique coalition of local leadership in Dunkirk and the marketing and public relations know-how of a New York City relief organization spearheaded by a Dunkirk native named Charles Todd.
D-to-D was amazing in itself: A rural community of barely 18,000 donated $1 million (in today’s money) to bootstrap a city 4,000 miles away. In doing so, Dunkirk became the model for a nationwide fund-raising campaign to help people all over post-WW2 France.
Oh, there’s more to Dunkirk’s heritage: Seven months later, Dunkirk and its environs were twice as generous, donating $2 million, for war-torn Poland. And more yet: Six months later, the Dunkirk area matched that generosity with $2 million in cash and goods for another war-ravaged city, Anzio in Italy. In doing so, Dunkirk sparked a second nationwide effort that engaged Americans to help people all over war-torn Italy.
Those three humanitarian-relief campaigns, that $5 million in generosity, put Dunkirk in headlines around the world. If you credit news reports, diplomats, government officials, and personalities like Albert Einstein, Dunkirk plucked the strings of world history in other ways. It presaged and enabled the $140-billion (in 2018 dollars) Marshall Plan to help Europe rebuild damage from WW II; helped Democracy defeat Communism in France; and benchmarked President Eisenhower’s People-to-People program to enhance world peace by direct contacts among individual people.
The story of Dunkirk’s heritage faded over the years. One chapter reopened momentarily in 2017 thanks to the Academy Award-winning film “Dunkirk.” It focused on the “Miracle of Dunkirk:” The rescue of 240,000 Allied soldiers trapped in Dunkerque by the Nazis during World War II. In doing so, the film stirred brief memories in the U.S. and around the world about what news accounts hailed as a second miracle, the “Miracle of Dunkirk, NY.” That was the D-to-D relief program.
But few people realized that there were two more chapters in the book of Dunkirk’s heritage — Poland and Anzio — or that those events in past showcase a cultural heritage for us to embrace today. It’s called “micro-activism,” the idea that any individual, any group of committed people, even in the smallest places, can change the world.
. . .AND IN MORE DETAIL
Dunkirk was in the headlines of newspapers around the globe. Movie stars, politicians, diplomats, national TV personalities, relief workers, famous writers, and other personalities flocked to the little town in rural New York State to see for themselves. The Federal Government broadcast radio programs and screened films about Dunkirk throughout Europe. France gave Dunkirk its highest award, the Legion of Honor.
U. S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall coat-tailed Dunkirk’s fame. He launched the national drive for a multi-billion-dollar European relief program in Dunkirk. We know it as the Marshall Plan.
The rich and famous gathered at ritzy restaurants in New York City to honor Dunkirk. Praise came from everywhere and everyone. Even Albert Einstein. Listen to Henri Bonnet, France’s Ambassador to the United States:
“One of the most glorious chapters in the history of World War II shall be remembered as ‘the miracle of Dunkerque’. A superb chapter has been added to the history of French-American friendship. It shall be remembered as ‘the miracle of Dunkirk, New York’.”
Inspired by Dunkirk, people around the country launched their own war relief programs. D-to-D was an inspiration not just for the Marshall Plan, but for President Eisenhower’s People to People Program. D-to-D may have been the world’s first and most successful case study in what today is known as “micro-activism.” One individual, a handful of thoughtful committed people, can change the world.
Miracles of Dunkirk
Have you ever heard people call something a miracle? That word means a wonder, a marvel, a sensation — something amazing, extraordinary. A miracle is an event that could never, ever, possibly happen. The Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque Heritage Center showcases two actual miracles in the World War II era. Yes, old miracles. But miracles with a powerful message for people today. Call them “the miracles of Dunkirk.” One miracle happened early in the war. You’ll recognize it immediately if you saw the popular 2017 film, “Dunkirk.” That miracle was the rescue of 240,000 Allied soldiers, most of the British army, trapped by the Nazis.
Where were they trapped? In the very jaws of death! They were surrounded with their backs to the sea in Dunkerque, France. And the Nazis were moving in for the kill. The rescue saved the British army to fight on another day and help defeat the Nazis. Without it, the world today might be much different. Europe, for example, might be under Nazi control.
Miracles? Who Says?
Winston Churchill, the British leader in World War II, first used that term. He called the evacuation the “Miracle of Dunkirk” in a famous speech on June 4, 1940.
Everyone agreed that the rescue operation first seemed impossible, but then happened. And the “miracle” description caught on. What about that second “miracle of Dunkirk?” Well, most people would regard it as a miracle, if they knew about it. You’ve never heard of it because Hollywood never made it into a film like Dunkirk. Even people who live in the place where it happened don’t realize that it was a really, really big deal. That second miracle happened in Dunkirk, New York, right after World War II. Newspaper headlines around the world called it “The Second Miracle of Dunkerque.” Henri Bonnet, then French Ambassador to the United States from 1944-1952, agreed. He said:
“One of the most glorious chapters in the history of World War II shall be remembered as ‘the miracle of Dunkerque’. A superb chapter has been added to the history of French-American friendship. It shall be remembered as ‘the miracle of Dunkirk, New York’.”
Sister Cities
Dunkirk is on the southern shore of Lake Erie in Chautauqua County. It is abouthalfway between Buffalo and the border of Pennsylvania. Dunkirk was named for Dunkerque, France, in 1826 because their harbors looked alike.
Dunkirk residents always had a special place in their hearts for their “sister city.” In 1946, Dunkirk residents learned of the plight of residents of their namesake. Dunkerque had been devastated in WWII. When the war ended and people began returning to their beloved city, they found utter desolation.
Barely a building remained standing. They faced shortages of food, medicine, clothing, tools to rebuild, farm animals, seeds – everything to rebuild and renew. Living conditions were horrible, and nobody was there to help.
Dunkirk Helping Dunkerque
What could ordinary people in a small, unknown city do to help? Dunkirk was 4,000 miles away from Dunkerque. It had a population of barely 23,000. How could they help in a way that would set an example for other Americans? Open their eyes to the devastation, and get them to help other parts of war-ravaged Europe? Helping seemed like a nice thing to do.
But it seemed impossible to really make an impact. But help they did. Make an impact they did. Everyone in Dunkirk got together and worked together achieve that goal. They called it the “Dunkirk to Dunkerque” project. Dunkirk’s spirit of unity bridged divides and united people with different outlooks. Businesses worked with labor unions. Catholics, Protestants and Jews joined hands.
Teenagers worked with adults. At that time, descendants of people from Poland and Italy made up a big part of Dunkirk’s population. Some of them remembered the ethnic conflicts and bad feelings that their families experienced in Europe. And some were uneasy about interacting with people outside their ethnic group. But Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque brought them together. Social clubs representing different ethnic groups, for instance, joined hands to make the relief program a success. The Dunkirk Evening Observer, the local newspaper, put it quite nicely: “The relief programs brought people together in a common cause. They wiped out prejudice. Representatives of all segments of the community life worked together. Better feeling prevailed in Dunkirk than ever before.”
“Me? Ahh. . . I’ll Give 12 Goats”
Residents of Dunkirk donated the equivalent in today’s money of $1 million to aid Dunkerque. People, businesses, and organizations gave what they could: Some donated garden seeds. Others gave shovels. Kids emptied their piggy banks.
People gave baby carriages, bottles of vitamins, bandages, and medical supplies. Some pooled their and bought an ambulance.
One group of people gave 10 cows. Another donated 12 goats. One farmer gave bales of hay to feed the animals. They donated canned meats, fruits, and vegetables; flour and jam;
hundreds of packages of powdered milk; pencils, pens, notebooks, French dictionaries, and other school supplies; warm wool blankets; shoes, socks and boots; hundreds of garden tools; hammers, saws, nails, screws, and even door hinges.
Good Deeds Publically Recognized
It’s OK to be humble and not show off about your good deeds. But there also is value to going public. Letting others know can maximize your positive impact. It may encourage other people to follow your example and do good deeds themselves. Dunkirk took that approach. The city went public, and decided to hold a special, high-profile event.
It would create public awareness about their good deeds. Maybe it would make others appreciate what ordinary people can do to have an impact on the world. They could have used Facebook, Twitter, or online communities to spread the word. But social media did not exist in those days. There was no way to instantly communicate with millions of people around the country. Remember, the Internet did not catch on until the 1990s? So Dunkirk decided to hold a special event to show off their success.
Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque Day
And what could be a better time than Thanksgiving Day? The city declared Thanksgiving Day 1946 “Dunkirk to Dunkerque Day.” They planned a day full of special events to celebrate the success of aid campaign. And they invited news media and big shots from around the world.
The main event was a parade down Central Avenue, the city’s main street. It was a spectacle to behold.
PARADE OF GIFTS: Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque Day parade included a mile-long convoy loaded with the city’s donations.Trucks loaded with Dunkirk’s donations stretched for one full mile. They rumbled past a reviewing stand filled with all the big shots: Famous writers from big newspapers and magazines, movie stars, government officials from the U. S. and France. TV networks rarely broadcast events live in those days. But CBS News did a live broadcast from Dunkirk.
A special live radio show was broadcast to France. The New York Times, Collier’s Magazine and other national news media ran stories. One wrote about Dunkirk’s generosity: “It is a veritable tale of two cities. One of them famous and one of them that should be.”
Spreading a Good Idea
The parade and other events brought national acclaim. Around the country, news media carried stories about Dunkirk. It made other people aware of what they could accomplish by working together. Working together instead, instead of waiting for the government, large organizations, or “someone else” to act. Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque served as a model for other cities to start similar assistance programs. In those days, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was as famous as Jackie Kennedy or Michele Obama.
Mrs. Roosevelt wrote a column, “My Day,” published in newspapers around the world. She praised Dunkirk in three of those columns. The New York Times, saved one of the best stories for the 1947 holiday season. You’ve heard of the “miracle of Christmas?” Well, The Times headlined it’s December 1947 article on Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque, “The Miracle of Dunkirk [NY]: A Christmas Tale.” The story said:
“Perhaps peace cannot come from the top – from fussy diplomats and from the cold, formal hand of Governments – but only from the bottom, from the little people whose hearts and minds cry out for it.”
Many famous people around the world praised Dunkirk. Among them was Albert Einstein.
“The new cooperation of the two Dunkirks is an encouraging sign that there is an increasing realization of the importance of international cooperation,” Mr. Einstein said in 1947.
“Calling the World. . .About Dunkirk”
A day after Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque Day, a special radio broadcast went out to the world. It was one of the first broadcasts by the United Nations Radio system. Those broadcasts had a dramatic beginning. The announcer’s first words were, “This is the United Nations calling the peoples of the world.”
And they really did reach much of the world. The broadcasts were in not just English, but Russian, French, Chinese, and Spanish. In the broadcast, people said Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque was “one of the most outstanding gestures of international friendship” that ever happened. They suggested that people everywhere take a lesson from Dunkirk. That lesson was that ordinary people in the smallest of places can have a big impact on the world.
“Merci & Merci Beaucoup!”
Have you ever hear those words. “Merci” in French means, “Thank You.” And when French people are really, really grateful, they say “Merci beaucoup!” Thank you very much! Those words poured into Dunkirk from men, women, and children in Dunkerque.
People in other parts of the world also expressed their gratitude. And the French government wanted to give Dunkirk its own official and very special thanks. France showed its gratitude by giving Dunkirk an award. It decided to give Dunkirk the French Legion of Honor.
This medal is given for only the highest and most important contributions to the country. The French ruler Napolean established the award in 1802 after the French Revolution. Dunkirk Mayor Walter C. Murray accepted it on behalf of the people of Dunkirk.
Dunkirk-to-Poland
The people of Dunkirk did not stop their generosity with the aid program for their sister city. Many of its residents had relatives who immigrated to the United States from Poland and Italy. In fact, they far outnumbered those who had roots in France. So in 1947, people ran with another good idea. Why not lend a helping hand to our ancestors struggling to recover from war damage in Poland and Italy? We know how to do it! We know how to get ordinary people involved and have an impact thousands of miles away. But some naysayers worried that Dunkirk had delpeted its stock of generosity. They were wrong. Poland came first. During the spring and summer of 1947, Dunkirk’s 23,000 people contributed $150,000 worth of clothing, food, medical and dental supplies, livestock, and other goods for war-devastated areas of Poland. That was double the $75,000 contributed during Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque. In today’s money, it would be $1.7 million in relief for Poland.
Dunkirk-to-Italy
Later in 1947, Dunkirk gave another helping hand to an Italian city damaged in the war. They picked city of Anzio in Italy. Located on Italy’s west coast, Anzio was the site of an invasion by the Allies during World War II. The Nazi Army was in control of that part of Italy. The Allies wanted to drive them out, and used bombs and other weapons to do so. The Nazis fought back and caused more damage The battle caused terrible destruction. When the 8,000 residents of Anzio returned home after the war, they found 7 out of every 10 buildings in ruins. The damage and the peoples’ needs were much like Dunkerque. “We need everything,” said Vecchiarelli Malvito, mayor of Anzio.
Another Million Bucks!!
The 23,000 residents of Dunkirk donated $100,000 worth of goods for Anzio. That was more than the $75,000 donated the previous year during the Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque aid drive. In today’s money it would be almost $1.2 million. Donations ranged from a single pencil given by an elementary school pupil to hundreds of cases of canned food and a x-ray machine. Dunkirk decided to celebrate that success with a parade and special events on Thanksgiving Day 1947. Freezing winter weather forced them to cancel the parade. But there was a big banquet and other ceremonies. Hundreds of people from Dunkirk and around the world attended. It got rave reviews in the news media.
Dunkirk, Model for the Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was United States Government program to help France and other European countries recover from World War II. It was named for U. S. Secretary of State, Gen. George C. Marshall. He organized and ran the aid program. Proposed in 1947, just one year after Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque, the Marshall Plan began in 1948. It gave France and other Western European countries $140 billion in today’s dollars. The plan was so successful that Marshall became the only general in history to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Gen. Marshall knew all-too-well about the devastation in Europe. He was Secretary of War, responsible for the entire military during WW11, before changing jobs. Gen. Marshall also knew about Dunkirk’s aid programs for Dunkerque, Poland, and Anzio.
Dunkirk Launches Marshall Plan Drive
They were an inspiration to Gen. Marshall. He picked Dunkirk, N.Y., as the place to launch a nation-wide campaign to encourage congressional passage of the plan. The first of one million signatures on a petition to Congress were collected in Dunkirk in 1947. It was when Dunkirk was running another relief program for Anzio, Italy. Mr. Marshall also was a guest of honor later in 1947 at a special banquet in New York City. More than 2,000 people gathered there to honor Dunkirk’s relief programs. And people in the U. S. and Europe were connecting the small Dunkirk relief programs to the huge program proposed by Gen. Marshall. Newspaper headlines, for instance, called Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque, “The Little Marshall Plan.” In addition, the U. S. Government made a film about Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque. It distributed copies of that film around Western Europe. The Government used Dunkirk as an example of how the American people would help Europe during the Marshall Plan.
Network, Network, Network
Do you know about “networking” with other people? It means to make connections, form relationships, share information about projects, seek potential partners for future projects. Well, the people and government officials of Dunkirk had a treasure trove of contacts. This unique foreign-aid network was both national and international. It resulted from Dunkirk’s relief programs for Dunkerque, Poland, and Anzio. Dunkirk realized that such contacts can wither and die if left unused. They wanted to keep that network of foreign-aid contacts alive. Keep the network alive? No, indeed. Let’s not settle for only that. Why not grow the network? Why not expand it? Why not use Dunkirk’s foreign aid knowhow as a springboard for a national or international system. That new effort might sponsor aid programs, encourage neighbor-to neighbor acts of friendship. It might help people in different countries better understand each other and reduce the risk of future wars.
The Dunkirk Society Goes Global
People in Dunkirk did exactly that. Inspired by past successes, they formed the Dunkirk Society to make those ideas a reality. The Dunkirk Society started with just a handful of people in Dunkirk. But they networked with contacts in New York City, Washington, DC, France, and other countries to grow the Society. As a result, important people from New York and Washington flocked to Dunkirk for a huge conference. The participants heard about the Dunkirk Society and it’s goals. They made suggestions on how to move ahead. One suggestion was to expand the Dunkirk Society into a world-wide organization. It would be called The Dunkirk Society International. It would have connected to the United Nations. It would develop a roadmap, “The Dunkirk Plan,” to encourage world peace through people-to-people contacts.
Inspiring President Eisenhower?
A decade after Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque Day, President Eisenhower started a special program to encourage world peace. Mr. Eisenhower took a new route to stopping future wars. Rather than depend on governments and diplomats, this program to would enlist ordinary people. He called it the “People-to-People” program. His announcement said: “If we are going to take advantage of the assumption that all people want peace, then the problem is for people to get together and to leap governments . . . to work out not one method but thousands by which people can gradually learn a little bit more of each other.” Did Mr. Eisenhower know about Dunkirk, NY? Did he read that New York Times story about Dunkirk? The one that mentioned “fussy diplomats?” Was he inspired by the Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque relief program? We may never know the answer. But People to People International is still doing what Mr. Eisenhower envisioned today.
Dunkirk Helps Win the “Cold War”
France was at peace when WWII ended. But it quickly the global showcase for another kind of war. It was a battle between communism and democracy. The Communist Party became powerful in France. People were very worried about the spread of communism from the former Soviet Union to Italy, Greece, and other European countries. Yes, even Americans feared that communists would also get a foothold in the U. S. History is filled stories about this fear. People used to call communists “Reds.” The fear of communism was called, “The Red Scare.” That’s because the former Soviet Union had a red-colored flag. The battle between communism and democracy became known as “the Cold War.” People were especially worried about communists taking over France. If communists won France, they might sweep through the rest of Europe. France thus became the global tipping point in the struggle between communism and democracy. Did the Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque program help tip the French people toward democracy? Did Dunkirk, N.Y., help save Europe from communism? Some people thought it did. Here is what one newspaper said: “We think that Dunkirk’s gesture of friendship to Dunkerque and the resulting world-wide publicity was something of a factor in in the democratic victory over communism in France.”
Let’s Crunch Some Numbers
People in Europe needed help urgently. Without it they certainly would have suffered greatly, become sicker, or died. So in 1947, the Marshall Plan sent Europe $597 million in immediate help. That’s $6.6 billion in today’s money. What if other cities had followed Dunkirk’s example in 1946 and 1947? That’s what the local newspaper, the Dunkirk Evening Observer, wondered. So the Observer crunched some numbers to get an answer. Let’s see now. Those three relief campaigns provided aid equal to every person in Dunkirk — there were 23,000 in those days — giving $23. Here’s what the Observer wrote: “If this same ratio had been given over the entire population of 140 millions of persons [the United States population in 1947] the total would be $1.680 billion…nearly three times the interim needs under the Marshall Plan.”
Dunkirk, Birthplace of Micro-Activism
Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque may seem like ancient history. But it lives on today as a model for us all to embrace. For Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque was the first successful, large-scale example of what today is called “micro-activism.” The term “micro-activism” means actions taken on a small scale. Simply put, micro-activism is individuals doing little things that collectively result in big changes. It’s the idea that individual people, in the smallest of communities, working together, can influence the world. Margaret Mead, a famous 20th Century scientist and writer, explained micro-activism in two sentences: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” President Kennedy put it another way: “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try” That is exactly what happened in Dunkirk, NY.
You, The Micro-Activist
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social-media sites have made easy today for one individual to start a chain reaction. One post that urges other to act can instantly reach an audience of millions. Email is another powerful tool for mico-activists to influence events. We mean “influence” in the best sense imaginable. That means influencing other people to join you in a good cause that benefits other people. Get people to move the world forward without waiting for governments or big organizations to pick up the ball. That is another core mission of the Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque Heritage Center: To foster public awareness about the power of micro-activism among individual people to influence events. Want to get started? This list of resources will jump start your efforts.
Our Vision: Bricks-and-Mortar
So welcome to our initial efforts in this online museum showcasing Dunkirk-to-Dunkirk and WWII. If you feel comfortable in doing so, leave a donation so we can move forward with plans for a bricks-and-mortar counterpart. We envision a physical museum in Dunkirk, New York, with everything from displays of large WWII military gear outdoors and a full-scale indoors facility with everything a modern, hands-on museum offers. The Internal Revenue Service has determined that the Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque Heritage Center is a 502(c)3 non-profit educational institution. As such, your donations are tax-deductible. We are incorporated as a non-profit in Virginia, home of the co-founders, one of whom is a Dunkirk, NY, native.