Our Mission
The National WWII Museum 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 will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn.
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Eastern Front
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Women of World War II
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WWII Medal of Honor Recipients
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African Americans in World War II
Event Recaps
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The Orlin Russell Corey Memorial Lecture--Mary Churchill's War: The Wartime Diaries of Churchill's Youngest Daughter
Join us for a conversation on a unique and evocative portrait of World War II—and a charming coming-of-age story—from the private diaries of Winston Churchill's youngest daughter, Mary.
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Dr. Hal Baumgarten D-Day Commemoration Ceremony
The National WWII Museum marked the 78th anniversary of D-Day and 22nd birthday of the Museum on Monday, June 6, 2022, highlighted by the Dr. Hal Baumgarten D-Day Commemoration Ceremony.
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Lunchbox Lecture: Accounting for the D-Day Fallen
Join us to learn more about the complex research project and hear the stories of recently uncovered D-Day fatalities—and why, ultimately, there may never be a complete register of all those killed on one of the most important days of the 20th century.
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Memorial Day at The National WWII Museum
Join us for a day of solemn remembrance of those who paid the ultimate price for their country.
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The History of European Antisemitism
Learn about the origins, evolution, and persistence of antisemitism in European history. In this webinar, teachers will gain the knowledge and resources needed to help students better understand the trajectory and development of antisemitism.
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The Last Gathering: An Evening with Two Normandy Veterans
The National WWII Museum is honored to present a special evening featuring a conversation with two veterans of the European Theater, along with documentary screening covering their return to Normandy for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.
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May The Fourth Be With You!: World War II's Influence on "Star Wars"
Join The National WWII Museum as curators Josh Schick and Cory Graff discuss the different ways that World War II influenced the Star Wars saga, from its weapons and costumes to its epic galactic battle scenes.
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Yom HaShoah Commemorative Program
Join us for an evening of remembrance and reflection with Holocaust survivor Toni Rinde, as she reflects on her experience during the Holocaust from a hidden child’s perspective.
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Cajun-Acadian WWII Commemoration: A Salute to French-Speaking Veterans
Join The National WWII Museum and the Consulate General of Canada as we salute the last living French-speaking World War II veterans from Canada and south Louisiana.
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Lunchbox Lecture--Behind the Lens of Ralph Morse: Celebrated War Correspondent and Photographer
Join us in person or virtually to learn more about career Life magazine photographer Ralph Morse!
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"Taking Flight: The Nadine Ramsey Story"
Join us for a webinar concluding our Women’s History Month programming discussing a pioneer in American aviation.
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We Can Do It!: Female Achievements in the Workplace Since World War II
Join The National WWII Museum as we pay tribute to these women and commemorate National Rosie the Riveter Day by hearing from local, modern-day trailblazers about their experiences in the workforce, with a historical overview given by Kim Guise, Senior Curator and Director of Curatorial Services.
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The Real Image of War: Steichen and Ford in the Pacific Opening Reception
Join exhibit curator Josh Schick as he introduces and discusses the process of creating the Museum’s newest special exhibition, The Real Image of War: Steichen and Ford in the Pacific—on display in the Museum’s Senator John Alario, Jr. Special Exhibition Hall from March 17, 2022, to January 3, 2023.
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Lunchbox Lecture: More than Just Hemingway's Wife: The Wartime Journalism of Martha Gellhorn
Many may know Martha Gellhorn as one of the many wives of fellow journalist and literary giant, Ernest Hemingway; however, she was so much more. Although just a budding journalist during the Spanish Civil War, Gellhorn would later witness and cover many pivotal moments of World War II and the rest of the 20th century.
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The 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion: The African American Heroes of the D-Day Invasion
Students will learn about the brave men of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion and their extraordinary mission to help protect US soldiers during the D-Day Invasions on June 6, 1944.
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Lunchbox Lecture: "Siren of the Resistance: the Artistry and Espionage of Josephine Baker"
In this lecture, hear Historian Dr. Kristen D. Burton, Lecturer of US History at The University of Alberta, delve into the life, artistry, and espionage of a true icon of the generation.
Oral History Profiles
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Mark Gordon Hazard, 79th Infantry Division
Mark Hazard discusses a patrol he led behind German lines just before the assault on Hagenau with the objective of capturing a German soldier to interrogate for information about enemy strength in the area.
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Benjamin Carson, 2nd Marine Raider Battalion
Benjamin Carson talks about volunteering for the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion and the brutally realistic training they received in San Diego to prepare for combat in the Pacific.
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Jack Glass, USS Enterprise (CV-6)
Jack Glass describes his experiences aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons in August 1942.
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Frank Buschmeier, 100th Bomb Group
Frank Buschmeier discusses his capture and subsequent imprisonment after his B-17 was shot down during a mission to Merseberg, Germany in July 1944.
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James “Horse Collar” Smith, 1st Marine Raider Battalion
James “Horse Collar” Smith describes his experiences during the Battle of Bloody Ridge on Guadalcanal in September 1942.
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Walter Jacobs, 77th Infantry Division
Walter Jacobs talks about encountering a wounded Japanese soldier during the fighting on Ie Shima and how he believes that his sparing of an enemy soldier’s life resulted in him surviving the fighting there and later on Okinawa.
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Florence Reynolds, WASP
Florence Reynolds describes a negative encounter she had with an Army Air Forces maintenance officer when she questioned the condition of an aircraft she was ordered to fly.
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William S. Jones, 7th Infantry Division, Attu
William S. Jones describes his experiences during the fight to recapture Attu in the Aleutian Islands in May 1943.
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Mike “Iron Mike” Mervosh, 4th Marine Division
Mike Mervosh describes his experience with the flag raising on Iwo Jima.
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Herbert Helibrun, 301st Bomb Group
Herbert Heilbrun describes the Christmas 1944 mission he took part in to bomb the oil refineries at Brux, Czechoslovakia and how well defended the area was.
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Stanley Wolczyk, 7th Infantry Division, Attu
Stanley Wolczyk discusses his experiences on Attu in May 1943 and being wounded late in the fight, a wound which ended his Army service.
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Charles McGee, 332nd Fighter Group
Charles McGee discusses flying bomber escort for 15th Air Force heavy bombardment groups and downing a German Focke Wulf Fw 190 during one of those missions.
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George Peto, 1st Marine Division
George Peto describes an uphill assault he took part in on Okinawa that ended up being his proudest day in the Marine Corps, despite the tremendous casualties his company suffered.
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Maynard David, 504th Bomb Group
Maynard David talks about a particularly harrowing mission he and his crew flew to Tokyo, Japan in May 1945.
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Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk, Navigator on the Enola Gay
Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk, navigator on the Enola Gay, describes arriving at Wendover Field, Utah and figuring out that he would be taking part in a mission to drop an atomic bomb.
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Joseph Sasser, 50th Engineers, Attu
Joseph Sasser discusses his experiences on Engineer Hill during the final hours of the Battle of Attu in May 1943.
"To The Best of My Ability"
Season 2: Episode 9 – 33 Months
Rising racial tensions on the west coast of the United States came to a head after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and a mandatory forced evacuation was carried out, sending Japanese Americans to incarceration camps. The event echoed for decades afterwards across multiple presidential administrations in the courts, politics, and minds of those wrongfully incarcerated.
Latest "Service on Celluloid" Podcasts
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Stalag 17
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Minisode To Flags of Our Fathers
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Flags of Our Fathers
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Minisode To Guadalcanal Diary