WILMINGTON, NC, July 04, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On Saturday, July 5 at 2:00 PM ET, the nationally touring exhibit Brothers in Arms will stop in Wilmington's Community Arts Center to pay tribute to Charles and James Summers, two brothers from High Point, North Carolina who were killed just months apart during World War II and are now buried side by side in the American Cemetery at Normandy.

The moving tribute will feature remarks from surviving sister Betty Jean Summers Neely, who will share memories of her brothers and the heartbreak her family endured. A special call-in will be made by former U.S. Senator Richard Burr at 2:30 PM, who has honored the Summers family at their gravesite in Normandy and will speak to their lasting sacrifice.

The Summers family's story is a true and tragic reflection of the cost of war. In July 1944, a telegram arrived announcing the death of Staff Sergeant Charles Summers, who was killed in France after landing at Utah Beach on D-Day with the 4th Infantry Division. Just three months later, in October 1944, a second telegram came for Private First Class James Summers, killed in Italy while serving with the 88th Infantry Division during the brutal campaign north of Rome.

Their only surviving brother, John, was recalled from service after both deaths. The weight of that loss would forever mark their family. "I think my mother had a breakdown," recalls Betty Jean.

"She stayed in bed for weeks. The music left our home after that."

Brothers in Arms, created by author and historian Kevin M. Callahan in partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission, is a national exhibit and storytelling tour that honors the more than 700 sets of American brothers who died in WWII and are buried together in U.S. military cemeteries overseas.

With more than 700 historic photographs, original battlefield artifacts, and first-person stories, the exhibit brings a deeply personal lens to the scope of WWII sacrifice.

Event Details:
Community Arts Center, Wilmington, NC
Saturday, July 5, 2:00 PM ET
Remarks by Kevin Callahan and Betty Jean Summers Neely
Special call-in from former Senator Richard Burr at 2:30 PM
This July 4th week, Brothers in Arms reminds us not just of victory—but of the families who paid the ultimate price.

About Brothers in Arms:
Brothers in Arms is a national initiative launched by historian Kevin M. Callahan, honoring sets of American brothers who died together in World War II and are buried side by side. The exhibit, in partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission, travels nationwide to reconnect families and communities with the sacrifices that defined a generation.

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