Press Release

“Remember Pearl Harbor!” (2010)

The National World War II Museum Observes 69th Anniversary, Announces International Conference planned for the 70th

NEW ORLEANS (December 3, 2010) – "Remember Pearl Harbor!" Those three words serve once again as a call to action as Americans commemorate the 69th anniversary of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Tuesday, December 7, 2010. It also starts the year-long countdown to a major conference on World War II to be held December 7- 9, 2011 at the The National World War II Museum in New Orleans. The Museum will observe the 70th anniversary of the sneak attack on U.S. forces in Hawaii with pomp, ceremony and what promises to be an historical tour-de-force.

 

“The Museum will be hosting award-winning scholars, authors and historians from all over the world,” said Museum President and CEO Gordon “Nick” Mueller. “Veterans will share their first-hand experiences from what unfolded in Oahu that Sunday morning and the months after, with attendees of all ages. It already promises to be one of the highlights of the Museum’s offerings for 2011. If you’re interested in World War II this should not be missed.”

 

Award-winning authors such as Donald L. Miller, Richard Frank, Allan Millett and others will explore what Pearl Harbor meant for the nation – strategically and in the popular imagination – as well as the early stages of the war in the Pacific. Panels will discuss the various Japanese attacks on America and her allies, and how the Allied Forces regrouped to halt Japanese expansion.

 

Scholars and veterans will discuss: the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Rising Sun campaign in the Pacific, the Doolittle Raid, the Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal and many other topics. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 511 or email conferences@nationalww2museum.org.

 

The air and submarine assault on the U.S. fleet by the naval forces of the Empire of Japan on the U.S. fleet plunged America headlong into World War II. A country where citizens had been sharply divided about entering the war now resolved to mount a massive retaliation. Soon thereafter, Germany declared war on the United States.

 

"December 7, 1941 was arguably the defining event of the 20th Century for our country,” said Mueller. “Pearl Harbor thrust the country and its fledgling Armed Forces into the war, making it a global conflict. The war transformed our nation, creating technologies, institutions and advances in human rights that continue to inform and influence out lives today. The Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing this story so all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn."

 

While World War II became the most pivotal event of modern times, memories of the valor and sacrifice of America’s “greatest generation” fade as the men and women who served around the globe and on the Home Front pass away. Veterans are dying at the rate of nearly 800 a day, and vanishing with them are their accounts of epic battles, sacrifice and heroism.

 

As part of its commitment to preserving personal stories from the war that changed the world, the Museum has recorded more than 3,500 personal accounts from every branch of service and theater – including close to 1,000 video interviews recorded in high definition. These powerful interviews capture the experiences of men and women of all ethnic backgrounds, even some who fought for the Axis. The Museum’s collection includes 82 eyewitness accounts from servicemen and women who witnessed the events of December 7, 1941.

 

Such stories are invaluable sources to historians, researchers, filmmakers and future generations, and they serve as a cornerstone for current and future exhibitions. The Museum is in the midst of a multi-phase $300 million expansion. Currently under construction are the John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion and the United States Freedom Pavilion: Land, Sea & Air.

 

In this year’s commemoration of the “date that will live in infamy,” the Museum will a host a free lecture at noon by Jack Henkels, a former park ranger at the USS Arizona Memorial. There will also be a commemorative ceremony. Leading up to the anniversary, the Museum’s Education Department hosted two informative national webinars for teachers titled “A Day of Infamy: Teaching the Lessons of Pearl Harbor.”   

 

The Museum’s permanent exhibitions contain fascinating and moving displays that include carbon copies of the radio transmissions that delivered the news that America was under attack, oral history listening stations with accounts by ordinary men and women and a small portion of the USS Arizona where 1,177 crewmembers lost their lives.

 

The National World War II 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.  Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National World War II Museum, it celebrates the American Spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front. For more information, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit www.nationalww2museum.org. Follow us on Twitter at WWIImuseum or visit our Facebook fan page.