The Fall Safety Class is an 8 week course that will meet Fridays 10am-11am, starting January 9th, 2026. During these 8 weeks, our trained instructors will share the Kupuna Method to help seniors improve balance, reduce instances of falls, and reduce the impact of falls.

WWII historian and scholar Philippe Esvelin will give a free lecture on American glider pilots in WWII on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m., in the theater of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 1201 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg.  

Esvelin has visited over 40 states, interviewing veterans and their descendants, and documenting their stories. He has published three books on his subject:  D-Day Gliders—American Glider Pilots of Day 3 (2001), Forgotten Wings (2006), and Winged Commandos (2024), as well as numerous articles. Currently, he is working on a graphic novel with the goal of making his subject accessible to young readers.  

He is frequently invited to many military history conferences, including in Sainte-Mère-Église, Arromanches, Paris, and the United States. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the S. Tipton Randolph Memorial Award for outstanding service in the interest of the National WW2 Glider Pilots Association, of which he is also a member.  

Born in Vichy, France in 1972, Philippe Esvelin holds a degree in international business, and most recently has worked as an area sales manager for an industrial spark detection system manufacturer for North America and southern Europe. He held a similar position with two industrial adhesive manufacturers in southern Europe and North Africa.  He also serves as reserve gendarme (police).  He is an interpretive guide, certified by the National Association of for Interpretation, Fort Collins, Colorado. Most recently, he resigned his business position, has moved to the United States, and intends to pursue his dream of focusing on the history of WWII American glider pilots.  

Esvelin’s grandfather, a French resistance fighter, was captured in WWII, and released at the close of the war. He returned to France and died shortly thereafter. Esvelin decided early in his life to focus on the American contributions to the victory. Looking at an attendance list from an American cemetery in Normandy, he came by chance upon the name of Robert C. Casey, whom he contacted. Casey responded, invited Esvelin to visit, and shared his experiences as a glider pilot. Thus began his lifelong passion to document the glider pilots of WWII.  

Casey was a strong advocate about documenting WWII glider pilot history, and proved to be a rich inspiration. Early in 1942, Robert Casey immediately enlisted. His mother was a Great War bride, so Casey still had family in France living under Nazi control. He served in the Army Air Force as a glider pilot, and made landings in Normandy during the D-Day invasion and Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, and later, in Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal with two clusters and a battlefield promotion to First Lieutenant.   

With Casey as his initial source, Esvelin expanded his research, as well as his admiration for these brave and disciplined pilots. Esvelin notes: “They flew toward an uncertain destination. They knew that as soon as they detached from their aircraft tow, there was no possible return. They were obliged not only to pilot, but to master techniques of enemy combat. That is how they earned their name: Winged Commandos.” 

The lecture is sponsored by the Fredericksburg-Fréjus Sister City Association. Founded in 1980, the group is dedicated to forming a lasting relationship through student and adult exchanges, events and programming that focuses on Franco-American ties, especially with Fredericksburg’s sister city, Fréjus. www.fredericksburgfrejus.com.