I recent had the great pleasure to travel to New Orleans with my wife. While she spent much of her youth living outside the city, I had never been there. While we were only there for a weekend, we made the most of it, visiting many of the famous locations that makes the Big Easy one of the more popular destinations in the south.
One “must do” for yours truly was to visit the World War Two Museum. I was an early supporter of the museum, and as a WWII “buff” I wanted to see first-hand some of the exhibits I had seen photos of online.
It was a remarkable and humbling experience – so many people do not understand how quickly the US military built up after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Before that the US military was ranked 38th in the world, and many soldiers had to practice with broom handles instead of rifles. The attack by Japan”kickstarted” our national will and we quickly became a force that helped defeat the evil Axis forces.
Beyond the exhibits, a remarkable film narrated by Tom Hanks Beyond All Boundaries really brought home the horror and triumph of the war. As it ended, the packed house did not cheer, but rose and silently left the theatre. It doesn’t candy-coat anything – which is to its credit. War is hell, and the films shows it vividly and poignantly.
Here’s some photos from the museum (though it’s a poor substitute for the real thing – a visit is highly recommended).
