Servicemen could dance with Betty Grable, be served a sandwich by Shirley Temple, and watch performances by Bob Hope and Carmen Miranda. Roy Rogers even rode his horse, Trigger, right onto the stage for some prancing tricks.

The  traveling exhibit tells the story of how World War II became the major catalyst in the 20th century for African Americans seeking change in their fortunes, both on the Home Front and in the American military.

Betty Jacobs grew up in World War II. She spent much of the war pledging her time and effort to aiding troops in New Orleans, her hometown.

The Shreveport Times revisits its own coverage of the Louisiana Maneuvers. 

A recipient of the 2017 American Spirit Awards Silver Service Medallion recalls the WWII scrap drive that won him acclaim.   

Watch a replay of the special exhibit's July 27 opening presentation. 

WDSU-TV previews new special exhibit about Louisiana during World War II. 

While military maneuvers train and test a force’s capabilities, they can also seem like an “alternate history” at times. Consider these fascinating front pages from September 1941, reprinted here courtesy of The Shreveport Times, describing the US Army’s big Louisiana Maneuvers. 

"By the war’s conclusion, nearly 16 million men and a half million women would provide military service for their country. Where would the opportunities to create better lives for themselves come from for these men and women who had seen, experienced, and sacrificed so much during the war years?" 

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.” 

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.

Restoration volunteers and WWII veterans gather to relaunch PT-305 on her home waters of Lake Pontchartrain.