Our War Too: Women in Service is a groundbreaking special exhibit honoring the nearly 350,000 American women who answered the call to serve their country during World War II. On display in the Senator John Alario, Jr. Special Exhibition Hall from November 11, 2023, through July 21, 2024, this exhibit recognizes servicewomen’s wartime efforts and celebrates their accomplishments, the impacts of which extend into the present day. After its initial run at the Museum, the exhibit will be available for travel to other host venues.
The popular and historical narrative of American women during World War II often focuses on those who worked on the Home Front, while stories of women who volunteered for vital roles in the uniformed services are largely underrecognized. Our War Too: Women in Service salutes the hundreds of thousands of women who served in the women’s component branches of the Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps, and with the civilian Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), as well as the additional 73,000 women who served in the Army and Navy Nurse Corps.
Our War Too features unique and colorful artifacts from the Museum’s collection, many on display for the first time, that highlight the personal stories and motivations of individual servicewomen. As recruitment efforts marketed service as both a patriotic duty and a wise career move, women utilized their talents and expertise to fill crucial gaps across different levels of the Armed Forces. Whether working in traditionally female roles or taking on unexpected tasks, servicewomen learned new skills and gained experience they would never have earned outside of wartime. But these opportunities came with limitations. Women were expected to serve temporarily, on an emergency basis, and did not have a full sense of belonging within the military despite answering the call of duty to their country. Our War Too examines the struggles of servicewomen who often waged personal battles with families, combated negative stereotypes and public resistance, and grappled with discrimination, all while facing physical danger in the skies, seas, and battlefronts across the world.
In addition to artifacts, Our War Too’s digital elements include an interactive scrapbook that will allow visitors to explore some of the treasures within the Museum’s archive of wartime albums and memory books curated by women to remember their time in service. Visitors will also have the opportunity to hear from women WWII veterans in their own words through stations featuring We Were There interactive biographies. Film pieces examine women’s service in the war and their legacy today, featuring interviews with women who served in the footsteps of WWII volunteers.
Pioneering WWII servicewomen remain role models for girls and young women, especially those within or considering national service. Women are the fastest-growing veteran group, numbering two million nationwide. As the fight for equal rights continues, Our War Too: Women in Service recognizes the path forged by servicewomen in World War II that is still being traveled by women in the American military today.
This exhibit is presented by the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation.
Available for Booking
- November 11, 2023 – July 21, 2024
- September 2025 Onward
Museum Campus
Hall of Democracy
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Museum Campus Guide-
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
The Louisiana Memorial Pavilion exhibits take visitors into the monumental efforts on the Home Front and to the beaches of Normandy—focusing on the thousands of men and women who made Allied victory in World War II possible.
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Campaigns of Courage
In a war where the terrain was as deadly as the enemy, this pavilion tells the story of American servicemembers abroad—and how they overcame unprecedented challenges on multiple fronts to win victory in World War II. In over 19,000 square feet of exhibit space, two extraordinary exhibitions bring visitors inside the epic story of the war in its most infamous settings, bringing to life jungles, beaches, mountains, and oceans in 19 immersive galleries.
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Solomon Victory Theater
The Solomon Victory Theater is home to Beyond All Boundaries, a 4D cinematic experience produced exclusively for The National WWII Museum by Tom Hanks—who narrates the film—and Phil Hettema.
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Hall of Democracy
The Hall of Democracy represents the center of the Museum’s expanding educational outreach initiatives—providing a space that will enable the institution to share its collections, oral histories, research, and expertise with audiences across the world.
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US Freedom Pavilion
In World War II—the war that changed the world—freedom hung in the balance. Americans answered the call to protect that freedom with 16 million men and women serving in uniform and an untold number of citizens of all ages doing their part on the Home Front. In US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, we honor their contributions.
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The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center
The official Hotel of The National WWII Museum, this stunning art-deco style property offers first-class accommodations, meeting spaces, and dining options providing a sophisticated lodging experience for guests.
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John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion
The John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion will offer up-close looks at WWII macro-artifacts, including the Museum’s patrol torpedo boat, PT-305, which returned to campus in 2022. The Pavilion also houses the STEM Innovation Gallery, a vibrant educational space for students and teachers alike that shows how science, technology, engineering, and math contributed—and advanced—in World War II.
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Founders Plaza
Founders Plaza creates an impressive entryway to the Museum campus, safe passage for Museum guests, and a pleasant setting for rest and reflection as part of the visitor experience.
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Bollinger Canopy of Peace
The soaring Bollinger Canopy of Peace, set to stand 150 feet tall, will unify the Museum's diverse campus and establish the Museum as a fixture on the New Orleans skyline.
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Liberation Pavilion
Three building levels will explore the closing months of the war and immediate postwar years, concluding with an explanation of links to our lives today.