The Shreveport Times revisits its own coverage of the Louisiana Maneuvers.
A recent Museum post, Shreveport Under Attack: A Look Back at the Louisiana Maneuvers, about the massive war games by Museum Senior Historian Robert M. Citino prompted Executive Editor Jeff Gauger to look farther down the 1941 front pages for poignant reminders of real war news happening elsewhere in the world.
Read more about the special exhibit The Pelican State Goes to War: Louisiana in World War II.
Americans like to think of World War II as a “great crusade,” but if it was, the country certainly didn’t seem all that fervent about rushing into it. Think of it: by the usual reckoning, World War II lasted six years, from the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, to Japan’s surrender on board the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. US participation spanned less than four years of that total, a little over half the war. Of seven campaigning seasons, the United States missed the first three and was active only in the final four.
While military maneuvers train and test a force’s capabilities, they can also seem like an “alternate history” at times. Consider these fascinating front pages from September 1941, reprinted here courtesy of The Shreveport Times, describing the US Army’s big Louisiana Maneuvers.
Watch a replay of the special exhibit's July 27 opening presentation.