View of downtown New Orleans from the Mississippi River, 1945. From the Collection of Kenneth H. Plummer, Sr.
Group portrait of the 106th Observation Squadron during the Louisiana Maneuvers, 1941. Gift in Memory of John O. Spinks, Sr., 2011.018.003
July 21, 2017 – April 29, 2018 The Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery On December 8, 1941, just one day after the Pearl Harbor attacks, the United States officially entered World War II—Louisiana, however, was already front and center in the country’s defense preparations. From 1940 to 1945, Louisiana hosted the largest maneuvers in US military history, witnessed massive changes to its industrial base, and saw its citizens become enthusiastic contributors to what President Franklin Delano Roosevelt deemed “The Arsenal of Democracy.” The war afforded new, previously unimaginable opportunities to Louisiana’s residents. Through it all, these wartime experiences in the Pelican State laid the groundwork for sweeping economic changes in the new, postwar world that emerged from the 20th century’s greatest struggle. Presented by The Alta and John Franks Foundation. Special Exhibit Programming Throughout the exhibit's run, we will be holding public programming focused on Louisiana's role in World War II. Learn More Film produced by Atherton Pictures, LLC Exhibit Image Highlights The Liberty ship SS William C.C. Claiborne is launched at Delta Shipbuilding Company, New Orleans, 1942. Gift of Earl and Elaine Buras, 1999.060.007 African American soldiers prepare for a parade, Camp Livingston, Pineville, LA, 1942. Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images View of lightning strike at Naval Air Station New Orleans, 1943. From the Collection of Kenneth H. Plummer, Sr. Stearman trainer aircraft fly in formation over City Park, New Orleans, 1943. From the Collection of Kenneth H. Plummer, Sr. Oral History Highlights Delano Brister Delano Brister was born December 14, 1933, in Sieper, Louisiana. He was just eight years old when the Louisiana Maneuvers took place in central Louisiana during the summer of 1941. Oral History produced by Atherton Pictures, LLC Henry Bourgeois Henry “Doc Boo” Bourgeois flew the F4U Corsair in VMF-214, the “Black Sheep” under the command of Greg Boyington in the South Pacific. Oral History produced by Atherton Pictures, LLC Artifact Highlights Higgins Hard Hat of Louis Lanza Gift of John Stinson, 1995.001.001 Higgins Industries worker Louis Lanza used this hard hat throughout his career at the company. Hard hats were an important piece of equipment for workers because of the dangers associated with constructing thousands of craft so quickly. Companies provided workers with hard hats not only to keep them safe, but also to ensure work hours were not lost due to accidents. Aircraft Sextant of Nash Roberts Gift of Dr. Kenneth Roberts, 2011.378.001 Nash Roberts served as a meteorologist for Admiral Chester Nimitz in the Pacific during the war. In 1944, he was one of the first people to fly into the center of a tropical system, a tactic still in use today. Roberts used this sextant when helping predict weather patterns for the final American push to Japan. He later became a weatherman and New Orleans area television personality. Piece of Coconut Log Bow from USS New Orleans (CA-32) Gift of John Richey, 2016.084.001 The USS New Orleans (CA-32) was the first of the seven ship New Orleans- class heavy cruisers built during the 1930s. The New Orleans saw some of the heaviest fighting during the Pacific war with action at Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, and later in the Gilbert, Marshall, Marianas, Philippine and Okinawa campaigns. It was during the Battle of Tassafaronga off Guadalcanal that the New Orleans had its bow blown off by a Japanese torpedo which detonated the forward magazines. This piece of coconut log was part of a temporary bow constructed to get the ship back to port. The New Orleans was awarded 17 battle stars for its service in the Pacific tying it for 3rd most in the theater.
The Liberty ship SS William C.C. Claiborne is launched at Delta Shipbuilding Company, New Orleans, 1942. Gift of Earl and Elaine Buras, 1999.060.007
African American soldiers prepare for a parade, Camp Livingston, Pineville, LA, 1942. Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images
View of lightning strike at Naval Air Station New Orleans, 1943. From the Collection of Kenneth H. Plummer, Sr.
Stearman trainer aircraft fly in formation over City Park, New Orleans, 1943. From the Collection of Kenneth H. Plummer, Sr.
Higgins Hard Hat of Louis Lanza Gift of John Stinson, 1995.001.001 Higgins Industries worker Louis Lanza used this hard hat throughout his career at the company. Hard hats were an important piece of equipment for workers because of the dangers associated with constructing thousands of craft so quickly. Companies provided workers with hard hats not only to keep them safe, but also to ensure work hours were not lost due to accidents.
Aircraft Sextant of Nash Roberts Gift of Dr. Kenneth Roberts, 2011.378.001 Nash Roberts served as a meteorologist for Admiral Chester Nimitz in the Pacific during the war. In 1944, he was one of the first people to fly into the center of a tropical system, a tactic still in use today. Roberts used this sextant when helping predict weather patterns for the final American push to Japan. He later became a weatherman and New Orleans area television personality.
Piece of Coconut Log Bow from USS New Orleans (CA-32) Gift of John Richey, 2016.084.001 The USS New Orleans (CA-32) was the first of the seven ship New Orleans- class heavy cruisers built during the 1930s. The New Orleans saw some of the heaviest fighting during the Pacific war with action at Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, and later in the Gilbert, Marshall, Marianas, Philippine and Okinawa campaigns. It was during the Battle of Tassafaronga off Guadalcanal that the New Orleans had its bow blown off by a Japanese torpedo which detonated the forward magazines. This piece of coconut log was part of a temporary bow constructed to get the ship back to port. The New Orleans was awarded 17 battle stars for its service in the Pacific tying it for 3rd most in the theater.
Article Type Article The Louisiana Maneuvers Americans like to think of World War II as a “great crusade,” but if it was, the country certainly didn’t seem all that fervent about rushing into it. Think of it: by the usual reckoning, World War II lasted six years, from the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, to Japan’s surrender on board the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. US participation spanned less than four years of that total, a little over half the war. Of seven campaigning seasons, the United States missed the first three and was active only in the final four.
Article Type From the Collection How PT-305 Got Her Custom Portholes Learn how this unique field modification came to be.
Article Type Article New Orleans in the Second World War Two years after the renowned historian began planning a war museum and eight years before The National D-Day Museum opened, Ambrose delivered a lecture, “New Orleans in the Second World War.”
Article Type From the Collection PT-305 Gets a Colorful—and Deceptive—Paint Scheme Read how the world's only fully restored, combat-veteran PT boat got its flashy paint job, and why.
Article Type Article Andrew Higgins and the Atomic Bombs The National WWII Museum has long highlighted the wartime contributions of Andrew Higgins and his company, Higgins Industries, in building thousands of landing craft that were vital to amphibious invasions. Now the institution is exploring a little-known role the New Orleans company played in the Manhattan Project as America raced to develop an nuclear weapon.
Article Type From the Collection Higgins Industries Builder’s Plaque Returns to PT-305 After more than 70 years away, a unique identifier is restored.
Article Type From the Collection Mail Call: A Belated Apology “Words alone cannot restore lost years”
Article Type From the Collection Black History Month Explore Museum assets—from oral histories to online resources to exhibit content to essays by our historians—to learn more about the African American experience in World War II.
Article Type Article Fred Korematsu Day Honoring a resistance icon who fought the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans.
Article Type Article Two Ambassadors: Bob Hope and Ernie Pyle The war correspondent and the entertainer shared a mission to connect with those in service during World War II.
Article Type Article “Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army” How the classic holiday musical White Christmas reveals the impact of military service in World War II.
Article Type Article Launching the War? Hirohito and Pearl Harbor A newly released memo sheds light on Japanese Emperor Hirohito's role in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Article Type WWII Polls Should Movie Stars Be Drafted or Deferred? The end of the war seemed far away in the spring of 1943, and a majority of Americans started to resent what they perceived as film stars' preferential treatment.
Article Type Article The Words of War The WWII generation came of age in an era when popular literature condemned the futility of war. In Citizen Soldiers, Stephen Ambrose explored the cultural context from which those men and women emerged to do what had to be done.
