by Jeanni Ritchie
While planning my itinerary for a New Orleans travel assignment, I added the National World War II Museum to Day 3’s agenda. I thought it would be a fun little excursion.
I still had that degree-of-separation removal from the actual war, the most basic knowledge of tragedy learned solely from textbooks.
The museum changed that.
From the time you walked into the first of six pavilions dedicated to preserving the history of the global war until you stepped back out into the freedom you’d taken for granted before you arrived, you are fully immersed in a culture you hope you will never experience in your lifetime.
Ironically, my life almost didn’t happen because of the war. My grandfather had been shipping out to Pearl Harbor mere days before December 7, 1941 when a failed hearing test had him dejectedly shipped home. While I’d grown up knowing the story, reliving it in the halls of the WWII Museum brought my fate to light in a profound way.
Always a fan of museum documentaries, I was excited about the cinematography of the 4-D Tom Hanks’ narrated film, Beyond All Boundaries. While spectacular, if I’d focused on the film making, I would’ve missed the point. The feature brought you up close with those who fought, who lost, who feared, and who cheered. I cried, I jumped, I pondered, I prayed. I thought of my grandfather once again, whose life had been spared by the same hearing loss I suffer now myself.
Most of the artifacts in the National World War II Museum are genuine, not replicas. Actual missiles, uniforms, telecommunications….
The National WWII Museum’s exhibits cover the epic and global scale of the war that changed the world, in a voice that is intimate and personal. Exhibits not only highlight the role of world leaders, but also the everyday men and women who found the strength and courage to accomplish the extraordinary.
Visitors are given a dog tag upon arrival, to follow the journey of a civilian or serviceman impacted by the war. Interactive stations are set up throughout the museum to learn the fate of their journey.
One of my favorite exhibits was Anne Frank’s room, placing visitors right in the midst of her diary. Bringing textbook memories to life is what the museum does best and one cannot leave unchanged following a visit to the National World War II Museum.
These are not facts to memorize for a history quiz or faceless names on a slab of concrete. These were real people, with hopes and dreams just as we have, who gave their lives in sacrifice for our freedom.
Not everyone who lost their lives signed up for war. There were children, pushed off cliffs to their deaths, as the Japanese preferred suicide to surrender in a conflict that continued long after D-Day.
This museum is educational, impactful, and humanizing, a must-see for all Americans to truly remember that our freedom was hard-earned as we pay tribute to those who fought for us.
Visit nationalww2museum.org for field trip information, hours of operation, and special events.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
