Visit World War II Museum, New Orleans, LA

Sunday, a day of rest for Habitat volunteers, got Lou and I up early for a drive across Lake Pontchartrain to the World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Early morning drive across Lake Pontchartrain

A bit of rain fell as we drove over the lake

The World War II Museum has three existing buildings. A fourth will open in 2016

Lou and I spent most of our time viewing "The Road to Berlin" parts of the museum.

The entry where we bought our tickets. Steven Ambrose, who taught for many years at the University of New Orleans, began work on this museum. He died in 2002 and since his death, the museum is managed by a 501c3 group. Steven Ambrose endowed a history chair at the University of Wisconsin ($500,000 - half of the endowment) to honor one of his history professors at UW.

Tom Hanks is a part of it; his role in the movie, 

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, contributed to his interest in this history. 

Harley Davidson (a Milwaukee company) modified its motorcycles to help with the war effort. A windscreen was added along with a holster for a Tommy Gun and saddlebags. The A in WLA stands for "Army."

President Roosevelt told Americans that everyone had a role to play in the war effort - farmers, welders, everyone. Women entered the workforce in large numbers. Their efforts contributed to the production of aircraft, tanks, ammunition, and all that's necessary to win a war. Germany, in spite of its dominance at the beginning of the war, could not keep up.

These photos show how immense the World War II Museum buildings are. Several large aircraft are displayed. World War II improved aircraft technology and explanations about early bombardier computers is interesting.

The museum is quite interactive. Lou is reading about some person or piece of equipment involved in the war effort

This aircraft crash (B-17) landed on an iceberg in Greenland. In 1993, after sitting on the ice, it was dismantled piece by piece and transported to the US. Originally, it was to be on display at the Blue Ash Airport in Cincinnati; however, that airport is no more. The plane, reconstructed, finally is on display at this New Orleans Museum.

Looking down at the first level from the fourth level of the Boeing Building.

Visit this museum - make sure to take a day to do it!