H-Hour Ceremony
6:30 a.m. – 7:15 a.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Join us for a ceremony to commemorate D-Day at the time the invasion began in 1944. This presentation will include a reading of General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Order of the Day message to troops, delivered on the eve of the invasion; and a D-Day overview by Keith Huxen, Senior Director of Research and History for the Museum’s Institute for the Study of War and Democracy. The presentation will be followed by a moment of silence, a prayer, and the screening of a video montage.
H-Hour Ceremony Continental Breakfast
7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
BB’s Stage Door Canteen
Complimentary refreshments for H-Hour Ceremony participants.
Film Screenings: Beyond All Boundaries
8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
Solomon Victory Theater
To accommodate early-morning Museum visitors, the Museum’s 4D experience Beyond All Boundaries will have two additional screenings on June 6. (Tickets are $7 with Museum Campus Pass.)
Lecture: Kevin Farrell presents “The Meaning of La Fière 75 Years Later”
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Colonel Kevin W. Farrell, PhD, spent over 30 years in uniform and commanded at the platoon, company, and battalion levels. A graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point—and former tenured professor and chief of military history at the institution—Colonel Farrell is a recognized authority on military history and leadership.
US Marine Corps Forces Reserve Band Performance
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Join us for a concert of patriotic anthems.
Meet the Author: Linda Hervieux
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
Author Linda Hervieux will speak about her book Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, at Home and at War. A book signing in the Museum Store will immediately follow the presentation.
Dr. Hal Baumgarten D-Day Commemoration Ceremony
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Presented in memory of D-Day veteran and Museum friend Dr. Harold “Hal” Baumgarten, this commemoration ceremony will mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion with a solemn remembrance of the events of June 6, 1944, and conclude with a moment of silence.
The Dr. Hal Baumgarten D-Day Commemoration Endowment, made possible by the generous gift of Karen and Leopold Sher, ensures that Dr. Baumgarten’s legacy will live on in perpetuity and helps the Museum fulfill its mission to educate future generations about the events of World War II and its lasting impact.
Museum Birthday Celebration
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Join us for patriotic-themed cupcakes in celebration of the Museum’s 19th birthday.
Heroes Welcome for WWII Veterans
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center and BB’s Stage Door Canteen
Museum staff, volunteers, and guests will welcome the arrival of WWII veterans attending the day’s commemoration ceremonies.
The 75th Anniversary of D-Day Electronic Field Trip
11:30 a.m. (repeats at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.)
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
Join us for a replay of the Museum’s The 75th Anniversary of D-Day Electronic Field Trip. This virtual transatlantic adventure transports students to the sites where D-Day history was made. Guided by student reporters from the United States, England, Canada, and France, this journey provides insights into the greatest amphibious invasion in history. Students discover the lessons and legacies of Operation Overlord as they explore the coast of southern England, the iconic invasion sites in Normandy, France, and a special remembrance at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Omaha Beach.
Panel Discussion: D-Day Veterans
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
D-Day veterans discuss their memories of June 6, 1944, in conversation with Museum oral historians.
The Victory Belles
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
The Museum’s vocal trio performs a concert of patriotic songs.
Gallery Talk: Larry Decuers presents “Guy de Montlaur’s D-Day”
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery
Larry Decuers, Curator of the special exhibit In Memory of What I Cannot Say: The Art of Guy de Montlaur, will speak about the D-Day actions of French Commando and fine-art painter Guy de Montlaur. Montlaur, who suffered multiple wounds in combat that he carried for the rest of his life, channeled his wartime experiences into art, creating vivid abstract paintings until his death at age 58 in 1977. The special exhibit is on view through October 20, 2019.
Panel Discussion: Depictions of D-Day
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
A panel of WWII veteran family members and scholars will discuss the many experiences of those who fought on D-Day, and how memories of that day affected them in later life.
The Victory Swing Orchestra
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
BB’s Stage Door Canteen
The Museum’s big band will perform a concert of WWII-era favorites. This concert is free and open to the public but please register to attend.
Film Screening: The Longest Day
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Join us for a free screening of the 1962 film The Longest Day, which explores the D-Day landings at Normandy on June 6, 1944. Georges Rivière portrays Guy de Montlaur—the subject of the Museum’s current special exhibit—in this Hollywood epic, based on Cornelius Ryan’s book of the same title. The screening will cap the Museum’s 75th anniversary of D-Day commemorative events. This screening is free and open to the public but please register to attend.
All-Day Activities
Living History Corps
Founders Plaza
WWII reenactors will interact with Museum visitors throughout the day.
Hands-on History
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
Explore the uniforms and equipment used by American, British, and German soldiers on D-Day. Visitors can try on original and reproduction helmets, uniforms, boots, packs, and other personal equipment.
Higgins Boat Tours
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
Board the Higgins Boat with USS Alabama living history reenactors to learn about the New Orleans-built craft’s role in the D-Day invasion.
“What Does D-Day Mean to You?”
L.W. “Pete” Kent Train Car Experience
Record and share your thoughts about the 75th anniversary of D-Day—the bravery of the troops, the awesome challenges they faced, and the legacy of that day all these years later. Select comments will be shared with the Museum’s online followers.
Oral History Showcase
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
Museum oral histories of D-Day veterans will air continuously throughout the day.