Since 1848, The Associated Press has served thousands of daily newspaper, radio, television and online customers with coverage in all media and news in all formats, and it remains the world’s largest and oldest newsgathering organization. This news cooperative was often times the only source of war news coverage especially, during World Wars I and II, when other newspapers and publications lost writers to the battle lines.

In preparation for the National World War II Memorial’s dedication on the National Mall on Memorial Day weekend, the AP will display to the public more than 100 WWII photos culled from over 100,000 images from the AP’s archives around the world. The exhibit, “Memories of World War II,” which will travel nationally beginning in the fall with the Dallas Historical Society, debuts Monday at Union Station’s West Hall.

AP President and CEO Tom Curley will unveil the photo exhibit and introduce WWII veterans who were present at the Japanese surrender. AP Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Max Desfor, who took a photo of the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in August 1945, will also be present at the exhibit’s debut. Curley and Desfor also will present to the veterans a copy of Desfor’s photo of the Japanese surrender.

The photo exhibit will be open to the public through June 1 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the war.

Pat Murray, spokeswoman for the AP, said, “Some of the photos have not been viewed since the early war years.”

A companion book to the exhibit, “Memories of World War II,” contains most of the exhibit’s photographs and is set to hit shelves late next week.

— Megan N. Van Diver