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On behalf of the Board of Trustees, members, staff and
volunteers of The National D-Day Museum, and the veterans
of World War II, we mourn the loss of America’s historian
– our historian – Steve Ambrose.
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| Stephen Ambrose,
Founder |
"On
the day World War II began, Dwight Eisenhower wrote
his brother, 'Hitler should beware of the fury of
an aroused democracy.' Ike was right. Galvanized
by the atrocities and conquests of the totalitarian
nations, America sent her best and brightest to
the beaches of Normandy, Sicily, Iwo Jima, and many
other battlefields oceans away from her shores.
The American sailors, soldiers and airmen came not
to conquer, but to liberate, not to loot or destroy,
but to bring life and freedom. Eisenhower told his
troops, 'We will accept nothing less than full Victory!'
After horrendous sacrifices, that is what they produced.
The brave young men rode onto the beaches and into
battle on Higgins Boats, built in New Orleans by
Andrew Higgins, the man Eisenhower said, 'won the
war for us.' Higgins was a patriot and a visionary
capitalist, but he could not have built tens of
thousands of ships in a few short years without
a tremendous effort from his workers. In a scene
repeated in cities all across the country, the people
of New Orleans came together - black and white,
old and young, men and women - to propel the war
effort. Like their soldiers, they worked hard and
made sacrifices because they all believed in the
righteousness of their cause. They believed that,
as a popular saying of the times had it, 'we're
all in this together.' Their sense of duty, of right
and wrong, their teamwork and their courage embody
the American spirit. The National D-Day Museum celebrates
the American spirit. Young and old will come to
learn of their proud heritage. Since 1945, democracy
and freedom have been on the march. But visitors
will learn not just of what we have done. They
will learn of what we can do. They will learn that
we
are still in this together."
Stephen E. Ambrose
If you would like to make a donation
in Dr. Ambrose's honor, we have set up the Stephen
E. Ambrose Memorial Fund to support the development
of the new Center for the Study of the American
Spirit and its education program, oral history and
publication initiatives. For more information, please
call (504) 527-6012. |
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