Read excerpts from some of the winning essays, which contemplate what the duty of art and artists should be during times of war and conflict.    

Firsthand WWII veteran accounts magnify the impact of a Museum travel tour to island battlegrounds.  

Second Lieutenant Rudolph B. Davila, of Spanish-Filipino descent, received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions near Artena, Italy, during World War II. 

Anna M. Rosenberg turned her experiences with military affairs during World War II into a  position as the first woman to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense.

After four years of cancelled celebrations, Mardi Gras returned in 1946. For the veteran flambeaux carriers—a dangerous and physically taxing job—the need for better wages resulted in a historic strike that caused “a post-war rude awakening.”