On June 10, 2016, The National WWII Museum and Whitney Bank will present the American Spirit Awards in the Museum’s US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center. The awards gala, which will take place in New Orleans for the first time, celebrates individuals and organizations whose work reflects the spirit of those who served our nation during World War II. The 2016 honorees include New Orleans natives and representatives from across the nation, all of whom have inspired others through their own acts of courage, sacrifice, initiative and generosity.

The National WWII Museum President and CEO Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller today received the French Legion of Honor alongside Tom Brokaw and Tom Hanks at a private ceremony at the Grand Chancellery in Paris. The Legion of Honor Medal, which was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, acknowledges services rendered to France by persons of exceptional merit and accomplishments. It is the highest distinction awarded by the French government.

The National WWII Museum will commemorate Memorial Day by honoring the courage and sacrifice of fallen servicemembers through a series of public programs. On May 30, the Museum’s events will kick off at 10:30 a.m. with patriotic music selections by the Marine Corps Band New Orleans Brass Quintet. The performance will be followed by a special ceremony featuring personal tributes from relatives of those who lost their lives during World War II.

In partnership with the New Orleans Opera Association, The National WWII Museum will present three performances of “Brundibár,” a two-act children’s opera written by Jewish Czech composer Hans Krása. Three performances of “Brundibár,” which was originally staged by children at Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II, will take place in the Museum’s US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center on May 14 and 15. Ela Weissberger, an original cast member and Holocaust survivor, will be the guest of honor.

The National WWII Museum recorded a record-breaking month in March 2016 as the institution welcomed 81,703 visitors, smashing the previous monthly record of 73,449. The Museum also welcomed its five millionth visitor on March 19. The visitation milestones come shortly after the institution opened another major exhibit, Road to Tokyo: Pacific Theater Galleries.

In conjunction with the special exhibit <em>Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II</em>, The National WWII Museum is welcoming an authentic, newly restored P-51D Mustang fighter to Museum grounds, replacing a replica P-51 in US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center. The warbird, which is painted in the likeness of the 332nd Fighter Group’s Red Tail plane flown by Tuskegee Airman Roscoe Brown, will be unveiled during a special dedication ceremony on April 21.

The National WWII Museum today announced plans to return restored patrol-torpedo (PT) boat PT-305 to her home waters of Lake Pontchartrain, where she was originally tested by Higgins Industries more than 70 years ago. The Museum launched the first phase of the plan this morning: a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds necessary to move PT-305 to the water, test her for passenger use and, for the first time, offer civilians the chance to take a ride on a fully restored combat-veteran PT boat – the fastest US naval ship in World War II.

The National WWII Museum today announced a multi-year WWII Summer Teacher Institute that features an immersive professional development program for high school history and social studies teachers. The program is a momentous step forward in how the Museum interacts with educators, ensuring that teachers nationwide have the content knowledge, instructional techniques, and creative and engaging curriculum materials needed to teach WWII history.

On December 12, 2015, The National WWII Museum will open its newest permanent exhibit: Richard C. Adkerson & Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Road to Tokyo: Pacific Theater Galleries. Retracing the grueling trail that led from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, Road to Tokyo explores the evolving strategy for fighting relentless Japanese forces in Asia and the Pacific, examining cultural differences, logistical challenges and the staggering range of extreme conditions that confronted American military forces in Asia and the Pacific.

In partnership with PBS affiliate WYES-TV, The National WWII Museum is proud to announce a national interactive Electronic Field Trip (EFT) focused on the American Home Front. Debuting on November 4 with two live webcasts (10:00 am and 1:00 pm CST), “We’re All in This Together! How Students Like YOU Helped Win World War II,” will teach today’s young people what it was like to be a student during this critical time in American history, creating important links with the past. The Museum will also use the field trip as an opportunity to launch its signature service-learning project, “Get in the Scrap!”

In conjunction with the special exhibit <em>Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II</em>, The National WWII Museum presents “Unsung Heroes: Seven African American Heroes, Seven Medals of Honor, and the Decades that came Between Them”&mdash;a commemorative program honoring seven African American men who received Medals of Honor more than 50 years after their service in World War II. Hosted by NBC’s “Today” show weather anchor Al Roker, the event will take place on October 14 at 6:00 p.m. in the Museum’s US Freedom Pavilion, and feature family members who will share their experiences of the long fight for recognition.

Building on the popularity of last year’s event, The National WWII Museum and the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) are proud to present WWII AirPower Expo 2015 – a three-day display of WWII warbirds in action. From October 23 to 25, an expansive fleet of vintage WWII aircraft – including the only flying B-29 Superfortress – will be on-site at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport, offering close contact with the planes and pilots that liberated the skies above the Pacific and Europe.