National World War II
Museum Honors the
‘Greatest Generation’
S
eventy years ago, on June 6, 1944, Al-
By Jennifer Benitz
Staff Writer
lied troops stormed the beaches of
France and paved the way for success
in overpowering Adolf Hitler’s army. After
months of planning and cooperation among
all branches of the military, thousands of brave
men paid the ultimate price for freedom.
To honor the stories, courage and sacrifices
of those who faced the enemy with fierce and
undeniable bravery, the National World War II
Museum (originally named the National DDay Museum) was founded on June 6, 2000,
by late historian and author Stephen E. Ambrose and current museum President and
Chief Executive Officer Nick Mueller.
“Our mission is to specifically tell the American experience in World War II and to tell why
the war happened, how it was won, and what
seum’s Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Director of Research and History.
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U.S. Army
it means today,” said Keith Huxen, the mu-
National World War II Museum
Left: A Sherman
tank sits outside
the National World
War II Museum in
New Orleans.
Below: U.S. soldiers
aboard a landing
craft watch as they
approach the
northern coast
of France on
June 6, 1944.
Before the creation of the museum, Ambrose spent many
years researching and writing about the war, Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower and D-Day. He collected more than 2,000
oral histories from D-Day veterans. With no museum to
honor these veterans, however, Ambrose envisioned a
place that would pay tribute to them, where future generations could continue to be inspired by their bravery and
sacrifices and understand the significance behind the “war
that changed the world.”
“We’ve expanded our focus beyond amphibious invasions
to ensure that we’re including all aspects of the American experience in World War II,” said Tom Czekanski, the museum’s director of exhibitions and collections. Ultimately, the
museum pays tribute to the “Greatest Generation”—the men
and women who served their country through World War II,
pulling together resources, bravery and patriotism that
would eventually lead to the Allied victory.
“It’s a huge war. … Our collecting mission has changed
so that instead of just D-Day, we have plans to cover the
American home front. … We’re also covering all the other
theaters of war, including North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Europe,
and, of course, the Pacific through Japan and the ChinaBurma-India theaters,” Huxen said. “Everywhere American troops went.”
Located in New Orleans, the museum was built in the
same city that Higgins Industries called home during the
war. The boat company was responsible for building various amphibious vehicles, supply vessels and other specialized craft, but it was best known for its production of Higgins Boats (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel). Designed to
June 2014 ■ ARMY 57
National World War II Museum
At the National World War II Museum,
D-Day veteran Tom Blakey explains
the amphibious invasion strategy at
Normandy. Below: Students listen to
World War II veteran Bert Stolier.
T
he museum’s campus includes three pavilions consisting of exhibits and artifacts highlighting everything from the home front to the Pacific Theater to
D-Day to a nation mobilized by war. The museum
also has a theater and canteen that offer aspects of America’s
story in World War II from a different
perspective. As the museum expands,
two more additions are planned—the
Liberation Pavilion and Campaigns of
Courage—which will concentrate on
the final months of the war, the postwar years, and the European and Pacific theaters.
Over the years, the collections of oral
histories, photographs and artifacts
have grown tremendously with increasing donations from private collections and more veterans stepping forward to tell their stories. As the
collections continue to grow, significant
efforts are being made to reach out to as
many people as possible and spread
the museum’s mission by digitizing its
collections.
“We are an educational institution
foremost, and we have asked our58
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selves, ‘How can you bring World War II history to people
who will never visit New Orleans, will never see the physical museum?’” Huxen said. “So you have to think of it in
terms of trying to become a museum without walls. We
hope to become the go-to source for the public when they
think of World War II history.”
With more than 150,000 artifacts and 7,000 oral histories
stored in its collections, the museum has digitized 150 oral
histories online as well as 5,000 images so far. The museum
National World War II Museum
transport large equipment and Infantry platoons to shore,
Higgins Boats were vital in carrying out major amphibious
operations, including the beach landings of D-Day.
National World War II Museum
World War II veteran Bowdre McDowell shares his story with students.
Marking the 70th Anniversary of D-Day
The National World War II Museum in New Orleans
will commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day
with two days of free programming for all ages. Various activities, such as Higgins Boat tours, oral history showcases and band performances, are scheduled for both days. Here’s a list of scheduled events:
Friday, June 6
H-Hour Ceremony
6–7 a.m.
■ D-Day Briefings
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
■ D-Day Ceremony
10:30–11:30 a.m.
■ WWII Veterans Lunch
Noon–1 p.m.
■ WWII D-Day Veterans
1:30–2:30 p.m.
■ Panel Discussion
■ Belle Performance
2–2:30 p.m.
■ Weather Lecture
2:15–3:15 p.m.
■ Lecture and Book Signing
3:30–5 p.m.
■ by John C. McManus
■ Film Screening of Band of Brothers
7–10 p.m.
■
Saturday, June 7
■ Lecture by John C. McManus
10–11 a.m.
■ on the Normandy Campaign
■ D-Day Memory Panel
1–2 p.m.
■ 70th Anniversary of D-Day Documentary 2–3 p.m.
■ Letters and Diaries
3–4 p.m.
■ Army Week Parade
4:30 p.m.
hopes to make its collection of Normandy photographs
available online in time for the 70th anniversary of D-Day.
A special exhibit at the museum, From Barbed Wire to Battlefields: Japanese American Experiences in WWII, tells the stories of Japanese-Americans who suffered discrimination
during the war as well as those who fought on America’s
side. It opened in March and will remain on display until
October. In addition, an exhibit comprised of images of
Normandy has been traveling from one museum to another
since May and will continue to make its way around the
country over the next year.
T
his month, the museum will commemorate the 70th
anniversary of D-Day with various programming
and activities open to the public on June 6–7. Two
days of events, geared to all ages, will start at 6 a.m.
on June 6, with an H-Hour Ceremony in remembrance of
the landing of Allied forces on Normandy. They will continue through the following day with panel discussions,
displays, videos, guest speakers and performances.
“It’s important for us to remember America’s Greatest
Generation and the contribution of all Americans to securing democracy in World War II,” Czekanski said, “and, of
course, the fact that Americans today continue to work on
securing democracy for the world.”
More information is available at the museum’s website:
www.nationalww2museum.org.
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