My first visit to New Orleans was loosely planned as a three-night, four-day, past faced city-break of one of my bucket-list U.S. destinations. I would listen to the world's best jazz, eat great southern food, explore the French Quarter and the Garden District by foot, tiptoe around the above ground marble chambers of one of the famous old cemeteries and do my best to steer clear of the overtly touristy entrapments. I'd read that the city's expanding war museum was a big deal, but somehow, no one I know who has visited New Orleans in recent years had mentioned this as a top pick for the itinerary of a history buff such as myself.
Good thing Historic Hotel Monteleone offers a history package that included passes for The National WWII Museum, which, in its own words "tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world — why it was fought, how it was won and what it means today—so that all generations who visit will better understand the price of freedom."
How could I resist? As a frequent flyer British/American I have trawled my family around the monumental Imperial War Museum and Churchill War Rooms in London as well as the superbly interactive, haunting World War I In Flanders Museum in Ypres. I couldn't help but wonder if The American version of a National WWII Museum might disappoint by nudging out the allies in its primary focus on the story of the war from an overtly U.S. perspective. Thankfully, I found it to be an enthralling, riveting, well balanced museum experience, running out of time with a one-day visit to complete the last of its compelling blend of sweeping narrative and poignant personal detail.
Through its immersive exhibits and galleries, multimedia experiences and expansive collection of artifacts, the museum's mission to inspire people, young and old, to embrace the lessons of the monumental global conflict of World War II through its stories of heroism, human tragedies, voices of liberation and the fruits and responsibilities of victory makes it all the more relevant in today's world and into the future.
The museum, which was established and operates on endowment funds, was founded by academics and friends, Stephen Ambrose, (1936-2002) PhD and Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, PhD, an historian and his colleague in the History Department at the University of New Orleans and Vice Chancellor of the University. Ambrose’s role as founder of the institution that would later become The National WWII Museum was strengthened in many ways by his celebrity as a bestselling historian who was sought after as a speaker and film consultant. The museum first opened its doors in the year 2000. It is located in downtown New Orleans on a six-acre campus, where five soaring pavilions house historical exhibits, on-site restoration work, a period dinner theater and restaurant.
I'm going to have to plan a return visit in a couple of years. The museum is in the midst of a $400 million capital expansion project that will quadruple the size of the original Museum facility, add state-of-the-art programs and exhibit space, enhance the library and archives, and expand collections and conservation space.
My visit began as I boarded the L.W. Pete Kent Train Car Experience, a clever, interactive introduction to the museum designed to transport guests as newly enlisted soldiers by 1940s military-style rail. There is much ground to cover, both figuratively and literally after guests go through the initial multi-media European theater of operations and the global build up for invasion.
The Boeing Center was a highlight for me, with its magnificent flying machines, salvaged long after the war from long abandoned, remote locations, dismantled, shipped back to the States and, in the case of My Gal Sal, devotedly rebuilt by retired veterans over 12 long years to once again grace the heights, if not the skies. Read the amazing story of My Gal Sal by clicking here.
I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with friendly, engaging, knowledgeable and passionate military veteran volunteers throughout the museum. If stepping aboard a simulation of the most successful submarine in World War II is not nearly as terrifying as its actual fifth and final war patrol on October 25th, 1944, then that's a good thing. Reliving the general gist of USS Tang Submarine's epic battle against Japanese forces in a recreation of its subsequent sinking sufficed.
The D-Day Invasion of Normandy exhibit tells the story of the American effort in equal measures with the allies during the largest ever amphibious invasion, on June 6, 1944. I was thrilled to hear from one of the veteran volunteers what a pivotal role New Orleans had in the D Day Invasion. It was New Orleans native, Andrew Jackson Higgins, manufacturer of the Higgins Boat, whose shallow draft barge-like boat helped get soldiers, jeeps and tanks on shore. His boat was the first of its kind and some 9,000 were built in New Orleans and shipped to Europe for use in the D-Day Invasions. President Dwight Eisenhower dubbed Higgins: "The man who won the war for us."
The National World War II Museum is located on Andrew Higgins between Camp and Magazine streets.
On a personal note, my paternal grandfather served in the British Army. He was based in Sorrento after Anglo-American forces took back Italy in 1943, through to the end of the war. I toured The National WWII Museum's Allied Invasion of Sicily and southern Italy with considerable interest given the level of detail, photography, oral history and artifacts that helped me form a clearer picture of the experience my greengrocer grandfather had on disembarking his ship in the Mediterranean.
It was the first and last period of time my grandfather would leave his beloved family business in a small town in the English countryside. He would joke with me as a child that we should take his weekly cash earnings from the green grocery business to America. It strikes me now that this jolly and gregarious, food-loving supplies officer most likely made a whole lot of American and Italian friends during his two years with the allied forces south of Naples. He never spoke of the war, other than to talk of the crates of giant lemons he was sent from the Amalfi coastline during the first few years after he'd returned home.
If I was choking up at how little I really knew or understood of my grandfather's war time experience, each and every section of the museum was filled with veterans and families of veterans looking to learn more of the stories of servicemen and women who served in World War II. My grandfather was one of the lucky ones who survived. How he would love my American adventures, after all — as well as the son of southern Italian immigrants to the UK who talked me into a new life in California shortly after we were married!
Here's my grandfather, Frank, in the one photo I have of him from World War II, pictured at far right, clearly making friends and influencing the Italians! According to my dad, his father had as "good a war" as he could have hoped for, one of the better memories he talked of was having lunch with British entertainer Dame Gracie Fields and her second husband, Italian-born film director Monty Banks on the Isle of Capri, where she lived the rest of her life.
The total death count for Americans in WWII was around 420,000. This was the bloodiest war in human history, killing over 60 million people world wide. Let us never forget.
If you go:
Pre-purchase tickets to save time in line. Entrance is $28 for adults, $26 for seniors and free for all WWII Veterans.
The National WWII Museum is located at 945 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130 and is open daily 9 am to 5 pm (closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Mardi Gras Day and Thanksgiving).
Maximize your time with a recommended itinerary available online at nationalww2museum.org/itineraries. If you'd like to see it all, plan on a two day itinerary. Ticket cost for a second day is an additional $7.
There is a great gift store with piles of books and interactive DogTag experience with which you may follow your assigned war hero's story at stations during and online, after your visit.
