V-Mail (Winter 2021 Issue)

N E W S F R O M T H E N AT I O N A L W W I I M U S E U M

EXHIBITS

E S S AY

ORAL HISTORY

OUTREACH

EVENTS

Infamy: Pearl Harbor Remembered

Pacific Fleet Moves to Pearl

Sibling Witnesses to History

15 Years of Knit Your Bit

Band of Brothers Symposium

PAG E 0 4

PAG E 0 6

PAG E 0 8

PAG E 0 9

PAG E 1 1

IN THIS ISSUE

Remembering Pearl Harbor 80 Years Later

LETTER

MEMBERSHIP

Vo l . 4 8 , N o . 4 W I N T E R 2 0 2 1

Letter from the President & CEO

Help Sustain Our Progress

03

2021–2022 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Your 2022 Membership Renewal is More Critical Than Ever

FOUNDER Stephen E. Ambrose (1936–2002) OFFICERS

945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 nationalww2museum.org 504-528-1944 / 877-813-3329

M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn.

H O U R S O F O P E R AT I O N Visit the Museum’s website for the most up-to-date information on our operating hours.

H O L I D AY C L O S U R E S Mardi Gras Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day

S T E P H E N J . W AT S O N PRESIDENT & CEO

ONLINE Visit nationalww2museum.org for information on planning your visit, special exhibits, public programs, and more, or to sign up for email updates.

F A C E B O O K /wwiimuseum T W I T T E R @wwiimuseum I N S T A G R A M @wwiimuseum C O N TA C T U S The National WWII Museum V-Mail 945 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70130 504-528-1944 info@nationalww2museum.org Please contact the Museum at digitalcollections@nationalww2museum.org if interested in licensing this content.

V-Mail is published four times a year by The National WWII Museum as a benefit to Museum Members.

ON THE COVER Seamen at Kaneohe Naval Air Station decorate the graves of their fellow sailors killed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Official US Navy photograph, Kaneohe, Hawaii, 1941. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/91792984/.

On December 7, 1941, the United States was catapulted into a war that we weren’t prepared for and for which many Americans had previously been resistant to our involvement.

Nevertheless, the tragic loss of lives, the shock of a Japanese attack on American soil, and the threat of losing our freedom and democracy inspired individuals of all ages and backgrounds to come together and contribute to the war effort in unprecedented ways.

Eighty years later, as the Museum commemorates the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks, we reflect on this pivotal moment in US history and its continued meaning and relevance today. Through a special exhibit, electronic field trip, podcast episodes, digital content, and educational resources, the Museum helps ensure that the significance of Pearl Harbor is understood by all generations and that the sacrifices made by those who lost their lives on that day—and during the subsequent war years—will not be forgotten. Thanks to our collection of firsthand accounts from individuals who were at Pearl Harbor that day, such as siblings Thomas Gillette and Lydia Grant, we are able to gain deeper insights into history and help connect our audiences to a moment that most have only read about.

Through your generosity as Members, the Museum has had the unique ability to provide expansive educational outreach programs for several recent milestone anniversaries, including the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in 2020, and this year’s 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, among others. These initiatives have introduced hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, families, history buffs, and adult learners to the inspiring stories of the brave men and women who played a role on each of these historic days. And our efforts to share those stories continue in various ways as we make progress on our final exhibit hall, Liberation Pavilion, and continue to host hybrid programs such as the 20th Anniversary of Band of Brothers Symposium for both on-site and online audiences.

Despite the Museum’s recent challenges due to the impacts of COVID-19 and Hurricane Ida, we are grateful to conclude 2021 and kick off 2022 on a reflective and optimistic note—thankful for your support, proud of the progress we’ve made, and inspired to continue advancing our mission to share the story of the American experience in World War II: why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today.

This past year, your annual giving as a Member fueled The National WWII Museum’s efforts to start building back our visitation, to continue constructing the final phases of the campus expansion, and to keep reaching broader audiences of all ages through in-person and virtual programs. Your support also played a critical role in sustaining our mission as the Museum navigated significant hurdles in 2021, including impacts from COVID-19 and Hurricane Ida.

By July 2021, Museum visitation returned to pre-COVID levels as summer tourism boomed, but a surge in COVID19 cases as well as the start of the school year in August caused another steep decline. Then, on August 29, Hurricane Ida tore through southeastern Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States—cutting off power to the City of New Orleans, closing The National WWII Museum to the public, leaving behind some minor damage to the campus, and devastating other parts of the region. Fortunately, the Museum’s collection did not sustain any damage, and thanks to dedicated recovery workers and Museum staff, we reopened our doors on September 13.

During these tough times, the Museum relies even more heavily on support from its nationwide network of Members. Your generosity and the leadership of the Museum’s Board of Trustees enabled our team to make necessary repairs to storm damage and reopen safely to the public, all while providing resources to support our staff.

Thanks to your commitment, the Museum not only endured these challenges but also continued to forge ahead in advancing several ambitious projects, including the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the dedication of the Bollinger Canopy of Peace, the announcement of a new nighttime sound and light experience called Expressions of America, and the completion of the steel assembly for

John E. Koerner III, Chairman of the Board Ted Weggeland, Vice Chairman John D. Georges, Vice Chair Sonia A. Pérez, Vice Chair C. Paul Hilliard, Immediate Past Chairman John M. Hairston, Secretary Suzanne T. Mestayer, Treasurer Stephen J. Watson, President & CEO TRUSTEES R. Ryan Adkerson

Following Hurricane Ida, Senior Registrar and Director of Collection Management Toni Kiser returns artifacts to their display cases in The Arsenal of Democracy in preparation for the Museum’s reopening on September 13, 2021.

James E. Maurin

Clifford S. Asness

Peter J. Merlone

Justin T. Augustine III

Robert W. Merrick

Lawrence E. Bathgate II

Michael A. Morris

Brandon B. Berger

Dennis A. Muilenburg

Hon. J. Kenneth Blackwell

David Nierenberg

Donald T. “Boysie” Bollinger

Pete November

Jessica Brandt

Jane T. Olson

Michael S. Bylen

William M. Osborne III

James S. Chanos

Stephen G. Oswald

Kevin G. Clifford

Robert J. Patrick

Henry L. Coaxum Jr.

Lisa Pearl, PhD, JD

James A. Courter

Robert L. Priddy

Arnold W. Donald

James J. Reiss Jr.

Peter N. Foss

Todd Ricketts

William A. Goldring

Wyatt G. Rockefeller

Charles W. “Chip” Goodyear

Edwin R. “Rod” Rodriguez Jr.

Thomas A. Gruber

Caren Rubin

Hunter G. Hill

Joe F. Sanderson Jr.

Lt. Gen. Charles W. Hooper,

Philip G. Satre

USA (Ret.)

Robert A. “Bobby” Savoie, PhD

C. Jeffrey Knittel

W. Gray Stream

H. Merritt Lane III

Sharon Estill Taylor, PhD

Dennis P. Lauscha

André F. Villeneuve

Alan M. Leventhal

Governor Christine T. Whitman

Robert E. Smith Lupo

Governor Pete Wilson

PRESIDENT & CEO EMERITUS

Liberation Pavilion, the Museum’s capstone exhibit hall that is scheduled to open its first-floor exhibits to the public in late 2022.

Despite the challenges, it is an exciting time in the Museum’s history, and we hope you will continue to help us reach new milestones in 2022 by renewing your Membership. From our earliest days as The National D-Day Museum, our Members have been the backbone of the institution, and as we now reach the final phase of our campus expansion, we look back with gratitude on how far we’ve come and look forward with excitement for the future opportunities—all of which are possible thanks to your continued dedication to our mission.

Renew your Membership for 2022 today

→

nationalww2museum.org/give

Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, PhD CHAIRMEN EMERITI Herschel L. Abbott Jr. Richard C. Adkerson Arthur Q. Davis Robert E. Howson MGen. James Livingston, USMC (Ret.) Lee H. Schlesinger David R. Voelker TRUSTEES EMERITI Robert T. Hayes Hon. Diana E. Bajoie James L. Barksdale

John E. Kushner

Harold J. Bouillion

John P. Laborde

Hon. Jacqueline B. Clarkson

T. G. “Teddy” Solomon

William M. Detweiler

Frank B. Stewart Jr.

Richard L. Duchossois

Bruce N. Whitman

Louis M. Freeman HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS Col. Jack Jacobs, USA (Ret.) MGen. James Livingston, USMC (Ret.)

04

EXHIBITS

Vo l . 4 8 , N o . 4 W I N T E R 2 0 2 1

05

Infamy: Pearl Harbor Remembered Special Exhibit Explores Lead-Up to Pearl Harbor and What It Means Today “Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

Those words, spoken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, have become iconic among our nation’s collective memory of World War II and have spawned a phrase— “Day of Infamy”—that continues to find its way into popular vernacular and headlines even today.

To mark the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and Roosevelt’s remarks that ultimately led to a Declaration of War against Japan, The National WWII Museum opened its newest special exhibit, Infamy: Pearl Harbor Remembered.

This new temporary exhibit, located on the second floor of the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion in The Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery, utilizes artifacts, images, oral histories, and video productions to examine not just the events and results of the devastating attack, but also the way it was remembered during the war—and since. The hope is that, after experiencing the exhibit, visitors will both reflect on the events personally and take away new insights regarding a pivotal moment that many believe they have a full understanding of already.

“This exhibit provides a compelling look at the political climate leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor and then focuses on how it was remembered, rather than concentrating on the detailed events of the attack already highlighted in our permanent displays,” said Tom Czekanski, Senior Curator and Restorations Manager.

For instance, Infamy examines the attack as a culmination of more than 10 years’ worth of actions by Japan and the United States, starting with the 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria and including an attack in December 1937 on US vessels that killed or wounded several American soldiers—but did not result in a call for war with Japan.

Since September, The National WWII Museum has been commemorating the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor through 80 days of digital content and educational programming, all of which can be accessed on demand via the Museum’s website including: Path to Pearl Harbor Electronic Field Trip designed for students in grades 7-12 and sponsored by the Lupo Family Fund with additional support from the Dale E. and Janice Davis Johnston Family Foundation and Peter and Michelle Detkin: → nationalww2museum.org/electronicfield-trips Infamy: Pearl Harbor Remembered, on display at the Museum through June 26, 2022, explores how the Pearl Harbor attacks were used as a rallying cry during World War II through posters such as this one and encourages visitors to consider how this pivotal moment continues to be remembered today, 80 years later. Gift of Ken Rendell, 1997.001.019

The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association flag, on display in the Infamy exhibit, belonged to Lt. Col. John Wilberding, a German who immigrated to the United States as a young man and enlisted in the Navy. Wilberding was at Pearl Harbor during the attack and hid in a manhole near an airplane hangar. Gift of William J. Soper, 2014.375.001

Two new Pearl Harbor-related episodes of “To the Best of My Ability” podcast: → nationalww2museum.org/podcasts

“Tensions with Japan had been building for over 10 years, and although the location of the attack may have been a surprise, the idea of an attack by Japan should not have been,” Czekanski explained.

Among the artifacts on display in the exhibit are a fragment of the USS Arizona, “Remember Pearl Harbor” sweetheart jewelry, posters, and an M1921 Browning water-cooled machine gun similar to the one that Officer’s Cook 3rd Class Dorie Miller manned aboard the USS West Virginia. Story panels relate the firsthand experiences of lieutenants, messmen, chaplains, medical personnel, other servicemembers, and civilians at Pearl Harbor that fateful day.

The exhibit notes as well that—in the wake of the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor—Declaration of War on Japan was nearly unanimous by the US Congress, a new display of unity that still reminds

us of what can be accomplished when Americans with different political beliefs work together to promote our democracy’s strengths and ideals. Visitors will be tasked with considering whether Pearl Harbor is still remembered that way today—and what other days in our country’s history are important to remember for the same reason.

“Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the people of the United States were divided in their ideas of what we should do in the World War,” Czekanski explained. “With the crisis Pearl Harbor created, however, this country overcame politics to act together.”

The special exhibit is generously sponsored by Lockton; In Memory of Charles R. Godchaux; Union Pacific Foundation; Peoples Health; and Jones Walker, LLC, with additional support from the Alden and Margaret Laborde Foundation and Alan Franco. It is currently open to the public and will be on display at the Museum in New Orleans through June 26, 2022.

A daylong symposium, “Pearl Harbor at 80,” to kick off the 14th International Conference on World War II presented by The Pritzker Military Foundation, on behalf of Pritzker Military Museum & Library: → ww2conference.com

Commemorative programs, author events, and discussions: → youtube.com/wwiimuseum

Articles, oral histories, artifacts, educational resources, and more sponsored by Lockton, Peoples Health, and Capital One:

This fragment of the USS Arizona was removed during the construction of the current memorial in Pearl Harbor, which was dedicated in 1962. Gift of the National Park Service, 2001.151.001

Plan your visit today! To purchase tickets, visit:

→

ticketing.nationalww2museum.org

→ nationalww2museum.org/pearl-80topic or search the Museum’s social media accounts using the hashtag: #Pearl80

06

E S S AY

Vo l . 4 8 , N o . 4 W I N T E R 2 0 2 1

DOOMED VOYAGE

After the Pacific Fleet moved to Pearl Harbor, the US Destroyer Base San Diego took on a new role as US Repair Base San Diego. In 1946, it was redesignated as Naval Station San Diego and once again serves today as the principal homeport to the US Pacific Fleet. Courtesy of U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

THE PACIFIC FLEET MOVES TO PEARL After a fateful decision by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Pearl Harbor became the primary US naval base to the Pacific Fleet in 1940. This aerial view of Ford Island, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, was taken in June 1941. Courtesy of U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

I had a chance to visit one of America’s great cities recently: San Diego, California.

Blessed with lovely vistas, gorgeous climate, and friendly folk, it bills itself as “America’s finest city,” and on a late summer evening with a gentle breeze wafting in, it just might be true.

My mind was on other things, however. For all its natural beauty, San Diego is also a military city. You see naval vessels and aircraft of all sorts, even the retired carrier USS Midway. I couldn’t help but notice the topography while I was there. A long coast, an expansive bay, and a perfect barrier in the form of Coronado Island: San Diego seems purpose-built to

serve as a naval base. Would-be attackers would have to run a gauntlet of defenses to attack it, and most sensible adversaries probably wouldn’t even try. Combining modern firepower and the workings of Mother Nature, a fleet could defend itself here forever. The US Navy certainly thinks so: Naval Base San Diego, even today, is the principal homeport to the US Pacific Fleet.

And that’s exactly what it was in the past. Until 1940, San Diego was the principal US naval base on the West Coast.

In late 1939, however, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made a fateful decision. With Japan on the march in Asia and war in the air, he ordered the Navy to transfer

elements of the Pacific Fleet (two heavy cruiser divisions, two destroyer squadrons, and an aircraft carrier) to Pearl Harbor in the US possession of Hawaii.

Roosevelt’s decision was easy to understand. Fleets are not only for warfighting; they represent a coin of the realm in diplomatic maneuvering, as well.

“Gunboat diplomacy” is as old as gunboats.

An opponent makes an aggressive move, you counter by deploying a fleet in waters close enough to show you mean business and perhaps are ready to intervene. The policy had worked often enough over the years—indeed, the British had built an empire with it—that it seemed to warrant

Admiral James Richardson, the Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet who opposed moving the base to Pearl Harbor, takes oath prior to testifying during a Congressional investigation of the Pearl Harbor attack. Courtesy of U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

consideration in this case. After all, FDR had been working overtime to convince the Japanese of the error of their ways in China, where they were fighting a brutal war of aggression and conquest. He had declared embargoes on items essential to Japanese aggression, arms in 1938 and scrap iron in June 1940, but nothing seemed to work. Roosevelt had to tread lightly, however. He knew that most Americans were not in favor of any new foreign war, although public opinion was starting to recognize the dangers facing the country.

More worrisome to the President was the opinion of some of his naval

07

officers. Admiral James Richardson, the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (CinCUS), wasn’t happy at all with the move to Hawaii. Pearl was isolated in the middle of a big ocean, vulnerable to a Japanese attack. The facilities weren’t up to par compared to San Diego, and the new deployment had needlessly separated his men from their families. Informed in May 1940 that the “temporary” move had now become permanent, Richardson decided to make his opinions known. He made two trips to Washington, first in July and then in October, to persuade FDR to draw the Fleet back to San Diego.

The President heard him out politely at the first meeting, but the second meeting was pushing it, and Richardson had to have known it. The CinCUS followed up with a letter to Admiral Harold R. Stark, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), arguing that neither the Navy nor the country was prepared for war with Japan.

If you followed the history of civilmilitary relations in this country, you had to know how all this was going to end. In an argument between the President and the senior brass, the President always wins, and FDR relieved Richardson of command in February 1941. The Pacific Fleet remained in Pearl.

I was thinking about all these things as I watched young people strolling along the San Diego waterfront—many of them the age of the sailors on the Pacific Fleet back in 1940. History likes to concentrate on the leaders—the presidents and the generals and admirals—who have to make tough decisions. Some decisions prove right, and others go horribly wrong. It’s always the men and women on the sharp edge of the spear, however, who bear the burden and pay the price. That’s what I’d like all of us to keep in mind this year, on the 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

That night, I could have sworn I saw a ghost fleet sailing, gliding out of San Diego towards the West.

Rob Citino, PhD Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Historian

Follow Museum scholars:

→

nationalww2museum.org/the-war

08

ORAL HISTORY

OUTREACH

Vo l . 4 8 , N o . 4 W I N T E R 2 0 2 1

Sibling Witnesses to History

15 Years and Thousands of Balls of Yarn Later

Stepchildren of Pearl Harbor Navy Yard Commander Recall Dec. 7 Attack

Knit Your Bit Marks Milestone Anniversary

Not everyone who found themselves in harm’s way during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a member of the military.

Many of them, like Lydia Grant and her younger brother, Thomas Gillette, were the children of service personnel stationed on the island of Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.

Their stepfather, then US Navy Captain Claude S. Gillette, was the commander of the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, a post he had assumed in 1939.

Claude Gillette graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1909, and by late 1941, many of the captains of the warships based at Pearl Harbor were his friends and former classmates. One such friend was Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh, skipper of the USS Arizona (BB-39). In the fall of 1941, Van Valkenburgh invited Thomas and some of his friends aboard the Arizona for a tour, dinner in the captain’s cabin, and movies on the quarterdeck.

Lydia received a similar invitation for herself and six friends for November 30, 1941. When he realized that the Arizona would be out on maneuvers on November 30, Van Valkenburgh wrote to Lydia asking to reschedule the visit to the afternoon of Sunday, December 7. By the time of her scheduled visit, Van Valkenburgh and more than 1,000 of the officers and men who served under him were dead, and the USS Arizona (BB-39) was a flaming wreck.

At 7:55 a.m. on December 7, 1941, Lydia was asleep in the Gillette family bungalow at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard.

Thomas was in the front yard of the nextdoor neighbor’s house with his friend, Monty Higgins, and his mother was inside having coffee with Mrs. Higgins. Shortly after 8 a.m., Thomas and Monty looked up to see a line of torpedo planes flying over the bungalows. As the boys looked on with excitement at the low-flying planes, Thomas’ mother ran outside to see what was happening. Thomas yelled out, “Look, torpedo planes!” and was somewhat taken aback when his mother replied, “Yeah, and they’re not ours; now get in the damned house!”

Moments later, Lydia woke to Japanese machine gun bullets slamming into the wall next to her bed. Not realizing what was going on, she walked out onto her balcony and saw aircraft flying past just over the palm trees in her yard. Lydia thought she was witnessing very realistic maneuvers until her mother called from next door and told her they were being attacked and to stay inside. Instead, Lydia and the housekeeper made a run for the Higgins’ home. As they crossed the yard, Japanese machine gun bullets kicked up dirt all around them. Fortunately, neither was hit. After reuniting, the family remained at the Higgins home until the attack ended; then they went to a family friend’s home in Aiea Heights, where they

09

watched the USS Arizona burn through the night.

Lydia, Thomas, and their mother remained at Pearl Harbor until December 24, 1941, when they and many other military dependents were shipped back to the US mainland.

To hear Lydia Grant and Thomas Gillette discuss their experiences, visit the Digital Collections of The National WWII Museum website at www.ww2online.org and view their oral histories.

Joey Balfour Assistant Director of Oral History As part of the Museum’s Armed Forces Day commemoration on May 15, 2021, volunteers distributed Knit Your Bit scarves to veterans and active-duty servicemembers.

Since the program began 15 years ago, more than 50,000 scarves have been knitted.

Thomas Gillette, center, was in the front yard of his neighbor’s house with his friend, Monty Higgins, far left, when they spotted low-flying Japanese torpedo planes on December 7, 1941.

Lydia Grant, stepdaughter of US Navy Captain Claude S. Gillette, was 14 years old when she witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Explore the Museum’s collection of oral histories:

→

ww2online.org

Knit Your Bit, The National WWII Museum’s longest-running outreach program, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Inspired by the efforts during World War II to provide servicemen and women with knitted goods from home, this volunteer program began in 2006 as the Museum called for knitters throughout the United States to contribute scarves that would be distributed to veteran centers, hospitals, and service organizations throughout the United States. Since then, more than 5,000 volunteers have answered the call to take up their knitting and crochet needles, creating more than 50,000 scarves distributed to 1,000plus organizations to honor our nation’s veterans and active-duty military.

Each month, the Museum receives packages from dedicated knitters who represent all 50 states, as well as several countries around the globe. Some packages contain one or two scarves, while others may contain dozens. Along with each scarf, volunteers often attach their own homemade cards to express their thanks

and to recognize the courage and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans and troops. The donated scarves are then shipped to more than 1,000 veteran centers and organizations across the United States or distributed directly to veterans and active-duty military at ceremonies and commemorations held on the Museum’s campus. In some cases, the knitters themselves gather at the Museum for “knit-in” programs such as World Wide Knit in Public Day. The COVID-19 pandemic did not slow down the efforts of the Museum’s dedicated group of knitters—staying at home meant there was a lot of time on one’s hands!

The Museum staff quickly developed a quarantine and processing system for all of the scarves received to ensure that they would be safe to ship to veterans. Below is just one of the thank-you notes received from a veteran center after receiving a shipment of scarves from the Museum:

Each day we strive to fulfill the Department of Veterans Affairs’ mission to care for those who have borne the battle. It is through the generosity of donors like you that we are able to carry out this mission. Thank you for supporting our nation’s heroes!”

The National WWII Museum is excited to celebrate this program’s 15th anniversary, and continue to honor those who serve and are currently serving our country for years to come. To learn more about this program, view scarf patterns, and become a volunteer knitter, visit nationalww2museum.org/ programs/knit-your-bit.

Abbie Edens Director of Education

“On behalf of the Fargo VA Health Care System patients and staff, we would

Learn more about the Museum’s community engagement efforts at

like to extend our appreciation for your generous donation of forty handmade scarves for Veterans at the Fargo Vet Center. Thank you for keeping our Veterans in mind this holiday season.

→

nationalww2museum.org/community-engagement

10

T R AV E L

EVENTS

Vo l . 4 8 , N o . 4 W I N T E R 2 0 2 1

Remembering the Battle of the Bulge

‘We Stand Alone Together’

Travel to the US Memorial in Wereth, Belgium

Museum Unites Cast and Crew for Band of Brothers 20th Anniversary

Every May, near the small town of Wereth, Belgium, representatives from the United States and Belgium meet on a small country road at the edge of a pasture.

A special ceremony honors 11 African Americans who were the victims of a massacre perpetrated by SS troops during the Battle of the Bulge. When possible, descendants of these soldiers travel to Belgium to join the ceremony.

The story behind this ceremony begins on December 16, 1944. In the opening hours of the Battle of the Bulge, the Germans overran the lines of the

333rd Field Artillery Battalion, a US Army unit of African American troops. Those who could escape scattered throughout the countryside. The “Wereth 11,” as the men would become known, spotted a farmhouse. Waving a white flag, the men approached the house and received a welcome by Mathias Langer. Mathias and his family invited the Americans inside and prepared a small meal.

Aiding these soldiers was very risky for Mathias Langer. Wereth had been part of Germany prior to World War I, and some people in the area harbored

As part of the Museum’s Battle of the Bulge tour, travelers visit the US Memorial Wereth and pay tribute to the 11 African American soldiers who died for their country in Belgium.

pro-German sentiments. Before the Americans finished their bread, a German vehicle pulled up to the house. With nowhere else to go, the soldiers left the house with their hands up. Mathias Langer watched the Germans force the young Americans to sit in the snow. The Germans then marched their prisoners down the road. The Langers later heard gunshots in the distance.

In January, the battle had moved on, and villagers directed American soldiers to the remains of 11 men. No one had disturbed the bodies for fear of reprisals.

The official report indicated injuries to the men including bayonet wounds to the head, broken legs, and missing fingers.

The story was largely unknown until 1994. Hermann Langer, the son of Mathias, erected a small white cross in the field near the location of the men’s bodies. Eight years later, members of the Langer family established the US Memorial Wereth and constructed a permanent memorial at the site.

At the ceremony, young residents read tributes to each of the 11 soldiers.

The tributes reflect on the personal lives of the soldiers. James “Aubrey” Stewart, the oldest of the Wereth 11, was a pitcher for the Piedmont Giants and a bricklayer in West Virginia. George Davis carried his grandfather’s pocket watch with him.

Curtis Adams’ wife took a Greyhound bus to see him one more time before he deployed to Europe. Through the efforts of the US Memorial Wereth and the Belgian people, the sacrifice of the Wereth 11 will not be forgotten.

As part of the Museum’s Battle of the Bulge travel program—now offering a new tour date on October 9–15, 2022— travelers have the opportunity to visit the US Memorial Wereth and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the Wereth 11.

For more information on this tour and all of the Museum’s Educational Travel Programs, visit ww2museumtours.org, call 1-877-813-3329 x 257, or email travel@ nationalww2museum.org

Learn more about our educational travel programs

→

ww2museumtours.org

11

The National WWII Museum will bring together the cast and crew of the HBO/Playtone miniseries Band of Brothers on Saturday, January 8, 2022, for a 20th anniversary reunion symposium. Photo courtesy of HBO/A.A. Archive.

The National WWII Museum will host a can’t-miss symposium celebrating the 20th anniversary of the iconic Band of Brothers miniseries on Saturday, January 8, 2022. The daylong event will be held in person in the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center and livestreamed for free to audiences virtually. The program, which was rescheduled due to COVID travel restrictions, will bring members from the cast and crew together on stage to reflect on their experiences, share unique insights, and provide behind-thescenes commentary. Family members of the famed Easy Company veterans will also participate in a session on the lasting legacy of their loved ones.

“Band of Brothers is truly a timeless piece of cinematic history,” said actor James Madio, who played Technician Fourth Grade Frank Perconte. “I am awed that 20 years have passed since the cast first met, and yet our friendships continue to grow and strengthen. I admire my fellow actors for their dedication and integrity

in representing the men of Easy Company.

To this day, I am humbled by my role of portraying Frank Perconte and consider it to be the greatest honor of my career.”

New Orleans and the Museum are the ideal locations for this milestone anniversary event. In 1988, WWII Easy Company veterans held their reunion in the Big Easy, and in attendance there was local historian, author, and Museum founder Stephen Ambrose.

The conversations he had during that reunion and the subsequent interviews he conducted with the veterans formed the basis for Ambrose’s best-selling book Band of Brothers, which was published in 1992.

Nine years later, the HBO/Playtone miniseries Band of Brothers brought the story of Easy Company to millions of viewers. In the 20 years since its premiere on September 9, 2001, the men of Easy Company have become world-renowned, with their actions recounted and steps retraced from England to the Nazis’ Eagle’s Nest.

“It was a first-of-its-kind and was groundbreaking and breathtaking,” said actor Shane Taylor, who played Eugene “Doc” Roe. “The scale of it was huge, and to be a part of something that special makes me very proud. To think that some of the things we were doing on camera, the men of Easy Company did for real was a constant, sobering thought.”

The featured speakers and presenting cast will include James Madio (T/4 Frank Perconte), Michael Cudlitz (Sgt. Denver “Bull” Randleman), Frank John Hughes (Sgt. “Wild Bill” Guarnere), Shane Taylor (T/4 Eugene “Doc” Roe), and Neal McDonough (Lt. Buck Compton) among others.

For more information on the Band of Brothers 20th Anniversary Symposium or to register for free virtual access, visit ww2conference.com or call 504-528-1944 X 511. The symposium is generously supported

by Ryan Adkerson, HBO, Galerie de Galatoire, Craig and Ann McDonald, Richard D. Thacker, Robert V. Siebel, Camryn Batchelor, and Ragan, Rosenberger, Miller Family.

For a full list of Museum events, visit

→

nationalww2museum.org/events

SUPPORT

The National WWII Museum Store

Call 877-813-3329 x 244, visit in store or online at shopwwii.org, or email museumstore@nationalww2museum.org.

$45

WWII LOGO CHARCOAL FLEECE

$20

CANOPY OF PEACE DIE-CUT METAL ORNAMENT

Item # 16414 (Sizes: Small – 2XL)

WWII LOGO 8oz DINER MUG

Item # 22219

Item # 24887 (Measures: 6.5 x 5.75in.)

OLIVE GREEN VETERAN AMERICAN FLAG CAP

Item # 20118

$24.95

MY PEARL HARBOR SCRAPBOOK HARDBACK

Item # 20603

$12.50

ROSIE RUBBER DUCK

Item # 11242

$20

$14.95

WWII VICTORY 2022 DESK CALENDAR

$9

$14.99

McELFRESH PEARL HARBOR 1941 MAP

Item # 17318 (87 pages) This replica WWII-era “scrapbook” uses original photographs, maps, telegrams, newspaper clippings, hand-typed notes, and letters to explore the Pearl Harbor story.

Item # 21525 (Unfolded: 28 x 18in.)

All proceeds from purchases made through the Museum Store fund the continuing educational mission of The National WWII Museum.

To find out about the latest items and releases, follow The National WWII Museum Store on Instagram and Facebook @shopwwii.

Please make check or money order payable to The National WWII Museum and mail to: 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 Qty.

Item Description / Color / Size

Item No.

Payment Information GRAND TOTAL

Exp. Date

Card No.

Signature

MasterCard Y212262

Visa

Discover

AMEX

Price Ea.

Contact Information Name

City / State / Zip

Address

Phone

Shipping & Handling Chart

Totals

If Order Totals:

Add Shipping Fee

Item Total

$ 0.00 —49.99

$ 5.00

$ 50.00 —99.99

$ 10.00

$ 100.00 +

Free Shipping

Shipping See shipping chart

Less 10%

Priority

For Members only Overseas Order:

Add $ 30.00 to amt.

Priority Shipping:

Add $ 5.00 to amt.

Questions? Call 877-813-3329 x 244