NEW ORLEANS - WORLD WAR II MUSEUM

Founded by the late historian Stephen Ambrose, The National World War II Museum opened its doors on June 6, 2000--the 56th anniversary of D-Day--with a mission to honor the courageous, selfless Americans who came together to win World War II more than 60 years ago.  

Originally established to remember those who stormed the beaches at Normandy, the Museum was called The National D-Day Museum; but by 2003, the Museum had achieved international acclaim and was then designated by the US Congress as America's national WWII museum.  The Museum officially changed its name to The National World War II Museum in 2006 and continues to be the world's foremost institution for exploring the American Experience in WWII.  (From brochure)

Some would wonder why The National World War II Museum is located in New Orleans, a city not usually associated with World War II history. The Museum's history is, in fact, deeply rooted within New Orleans.

New Orleans is where Andrew Higgins designed, built and tested the landing craft used in many D-Day invasions, and the "Higgins Boat" is what President Eisenhower believed won the war for the Allies. New Orleans was the workplace of the Museum's founder, Stephen Ambrose, who spearheaded the effort to build such a museum.

The train car experience recreates the tearful farewells and joyous but bittersweet returns of the men and women who went off to war. Seated in original wooden coach seats, visitors watch videos of the stations, countryside and people as departing passengers would have witnessed them.

A collection of uniforms hung behind this sign inviting visitors to dress up and take photographs. None of us would do it.

The Stage Door Canteen pays tribute to all the WWII performers who gave their time and talent to entertain the troops. The American Sector is a restaurant whose chef is the renowned John Besh.

The Victory Belles are resident performers at The Stage Door Canteen.

This is an award-winning 4D cinematic experience featuring Tom Hanks as narrator.

This exhibit features some of our most famous propaganda posters along with more obscure works, Home Front artifacts, newsreels and more.  It not only highlights the physical works of propaganda during wartime, but also explores how these slogans and images were created and how specific tools and devices were utilized to elicit a response and unite the American people toward a common cause.

…because someone talked! Euphemism: Both the lonely cocker spaniel and gold star on the service banner representing the death of a soldier without explicitly stating it. Symbolism: The deliberate usage of a distraught dog, the beloved family pet, appealed to the emotions of many Americans making this poster one of the most popular reproductions, totaling in the millions.

If you enjoyed the posters, here is a website with a nice collection of them and how they fit into the propaganda effort.   Amazing WWII Propaganda Posters.

If you really want to know more, Wikipedia is here.

C-47 An Aviation Legend:  The C-47 was a military adaptation of the famous Douglas airliner.  Throughout World War II the C-47 was the standard transport aircraft of the Allied air forces.  It became legendary for its exploits: evacuating the wounded and carrying paratroopers, cargo and passengers in every theater of war.  The C-47 and its Navy counterpart, the R4D, continued to serve the US military during the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

After the War:  After VE-Day, '096' was reassigned to the 98th Troop Carrier Squadron, 440th Troop Carrier Group, and ferried service personnel back to the United States.

When World War II ended, the US Government sold '096' to the government of Finland.  It flew for the Finnish Air Force and then Finnair from 1947 to 1970.  In 1976, the '096' reprised its wartime role during the filming of the star-studded motion picture A Bridge Too Far, set during Operation Market Garden.  A freight company in Burlington, Vermont subsequently purchased '096' under US civil registry N58NA in 1985.  Painted to represent an aircraft from the D-Day invasion, '096' continued to haul cargo throughout the 1980's and 1990's, during which time a series of small freight companies operated the aircraft.  The National World War II Museum acquired '096' in February 2006.