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National D-Day Museum Reopens
National
D-Day Museum Adopts New Name, Expanded Mission
Now The National World War II Museum
NEW ORLEANS: On Friday, June 2, to the boom
of a WWII howitzer, officials of The National D-Day
Museum released nearly 10,000 square feet of fabric
to reveal the institution’s new name, dramatically
painted on the exterior wall of this unique cultural
attraction in downtown New Orleans: The National
World War II Museum.
Founded as The National D-Day Museum in 2000 by
the late historian Stephen Ambrose, the Museum
has been designated by the United States Congress as
the country’s official World War II Museum. The
announcement of the name change took place just days
before the anniversary of D-Day on June 6, also the
Museum’s sixth anniversary.
“Receiving this Congressional designation is a
tremendous honor,” said Museum President and CEO Dr.
Gordon “Nick” Mueller. “It spotlights Stephen
Ambrose’s original vision and promise that the
heroism of D-Day and the American Spirit of World
War II must be celebrated on a national scale. It
recognizes what our Museum has accomplished in our
first six years, and it gives us our marching orders
for the future.”
The Museum is already on the march to fulfill the
mandate and expanded national mission the new name
entails. In April, the Museum celebrated the
completion of the first phase of a visionary
capital expansion plan with the opening of E.J.
Ourso Discovery Hall. This state of the art
education center includes distance-learning
technology to bring the history, lessons and values
of World War II to classrooms nationally and
internationally.
Students and teachers will have unprecedented
opportunities to take virtual tours of the Museum,
examine artifacts, speak directly to veterans, and
interact in real time with Museum educators.
Pete Wilson, former Governor of California and
incoming Chairman of the Museum Board of Trustees
noted “just as D-Day was only the beginning of the
Allies’ road to victory in World War II, D-Day is
only the beginning of this great Museum’s
exploration of the entire American experience of the
war years.” In the coming months and years, The
National World War II Museum will expand into an
extraordinary campus of exhibitions and experiences
illuminating “the war that changed the world.” The
next component of the project will be an
advanced-format, “4-D” theater which will premiere
a new signature film produced and narrated by Tom
Hanks. Ground-breaking is projected for early 2007.
Following the theater and USO complex, the Museum
will construct a Campaigns Pavilion and a United
States Pavilion. When complete, the multi-year, $282
million expansion will occupy several blocks in New
Orleans’ Warehouse Arts District.
David Voelker, current Board of Trustees
Chairman, spoke of the Museum and its expansion as
essential components of New Orleans’ tourism and
cultural renaissance following Hurricane Katrina.
“In addition announcing our proud new name, “Voelker
stated, “I am delighted to report increasing
visitation and membership, expanded Museum hours,
and an upcoming event of tremendous importance.”
Since reopening in December, 2005, the Museum’s
attendance has increased 400 percent but remains
well below pre-Katrina levels. The Museum
currently has more than 125,000 members nationwide.
Beginning June 11, the Museum will again be open
for visitors on Sundays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
During July and August, The National World War II
Museum will present “Stars and Stripes Summer” a
series of special programs and activities for all
ages and discounted admission for Louisiana
residents.
Arguably the highlight of the year will be the
Museum’s International Conference on World War II,
November 16 to 19 in New Orleans. Leading authors,
historians and journalists including Walter
Cronkite, Madeleine Albright, Andy Rooney and James
Bradley along with more than 100 veteran panelists
will examine World War II: why it was fought, how it
was won, and what it means today. Noted documentary
film-maker Ken Burns will preview his latest project
which focuses on World War II.
For more information about the WWII Conference
and all Museum activities, visit
www.NationalWW2Museum.org.
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