While the war provided opportunities for soldiers to foster their sense of manhood, the postwar years and peacetime preferred the husband and father ideal while also finding ways to deal with injured or psychologically traumatized veterans.

One of the most noteworthy fashion evolutions of the 1940s was the transformation of the women’s swimming attire, presumably in part due to fabric rationing.

During World War II, this anthem was sung by African Americans fighting fascism abroad and continuing the struggle for social justice in the United States.

Before World War II, the German-American Bund was one of the most successful pro-Nazi organizations in the United States. On February 20, 1939, American Nazis gathered at Madison Square Garden for a mass rally for “true Americanism.”

Throughout his life, FDR’s Little White House in Warm Springs became an important location from his time as Governor of New York until his death on April 12, 1945.

Shortly removed from Prohibition and with a growing hatred of all things Germans, the United States began a relationship with beer and breweries that lasts still today.

The Museum’s volunteer force includes over 35 Vietnam-era veterans with a wide variety of service experiences, who each bring a unique understanding and connection to their service as volunteers.

Brash, beautiful, and driven, aviatrix Jackie Cochran rose from a childhood of poverty to record-breaking heights in aviation.

On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, that ultimately laid the foundation for the forced removal and subsequent incarceration of over 125,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry, two thirds of whom were American citizens.

The shamrock is the symbol of Ireland and a recurring theme in The National WWII Museum’s collection.

When the Allies desperately needed cargo ships, women bravely stepped up to supply them by working at shipyards across the country, including in Brunswick, Georgia. 

US Marine Corps Women’s Reserve Sgt. and Museum family member Bernice Williams turns 100 years old on March 1, 2021. She says that her 1943-1945 service as a Marine made her a “better person.”