NEW ORLEANS (November 19, 2021) – In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks on December 7, 1941, The National WWII Museum will unveil its newest special exhibit, Infamy: Pearl Harbor Remembered. The exhibit, now on display through June 26, 2022, in the Museum’s Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery, will explore the events leading up to Pearl Harbor and what the “date which will live in infamy” means today.
The Pearl Harbor attacks on the US Pacific Fleet led to the United States’ Declaration of War on Japan and plunged the country into World War II. Killing more than 2,400 servicemembers, Japanese planes destroyed or damaged 19 US warships and 300 aircraft in less than 90 minutes.
“This exhibit provides a compelling look at the political climate leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor and then focuses on how it was remembered, rather than concentrating on the detailed events of the attack already highlighted in our permanent displays,” said Tom Czekanski, exhibit curator and Senior Curator and Restorations Manager.
Infamy will utilize artifacts, images, oral histories and video productions to examine not just the events and results of the devastating attack, but also the way it was remembered during the war—and since. The hope is that, after experiencing the exhibit, visitors will both reflect on the events personally and take away new insights regarding a pivotal moment that many believe they have a full understanding of already.
Among the artifacts on display in the exhibit are a fragment of the USS Arizona, “Remember Pearl Harbor” sweetheart jewelry, posters and an M1921 Browning water-cooled machine gun similar to the one that Officer’s Cook 3rd Class Dorie Miller manned aboard the USS West Virginia. Story panels relate the firsthand experiences of lieutenants, messmen, chaplains, medical personnel, other servicemembers and civilians at Pearl Harbor that fateful day.
Infamy is part of the Museum’s robust educational initiatives to commemorate the Pearl Harbor 80th Anniversary, which will also include a full day of programming on December 7 and a student-focused Path to Pearl Harbor Electronic Field Trip.
The special exhibit is generously sponsored by Lockton; In Memory of Charles R. Godchaux; Union Pacific Foundation; Peoples Health; and Jones Walker, LLC, with additional support from the Alden and Margaret Laborde Foundation and Alan Franco.
On-site Covid-19 Protocols
Under current City of New Orleans guidelines, speakers and attendees will be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon arrival or a negative PCR/antigen test taken within 72 hours of the event. When not actively eating, drinking or presenting, guests are encouraged but not required to wear a mask indoors.
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. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, the institution celebrates the American spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front. For more information on TripAdvisor’s #1 New Orleans attraction, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit nationalww2museum.org.
