Originally named The Admiral Nimitz Museum and housed solely in the historitc Nimitz Hotel (once operated by Adm. Chester Nimitz' family), the Museum has grown into a dynamic, first-class experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and from all backgrounds. In addition to nearly 34,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space, the museum boasts an impressive display of Allied and Japanese aircraft, tanks, guns and other large artifacts made famous during the Pacific War campaigns. The museum has undergone several expansions, including the George Bush Gallery - where the story of World War II's final days unfoldand an outdoor Zen meditation space, the Japanese Garden of Peace.
The only museum in the continental U.S. dedicated exclusively to the Pacific War is located in the hometown of Admiral Chester Nimitz. Innovative displays include an interactive Henderson Field at Guadalcanal and engaging walk-through dioramas. National Museum of the Pacific War
National World War II Memorial
Washington, D.C.
The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people. As our Announcement Stone proclaims, the memorial honors those Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us: A nation conceived in liberty and justice. It will inspire future generations of Americans, deepening their appreciation of what the World War II generation accomplished in preserving democracy and saving the world from tyranny. Above all, the memorial stands as an important symbol of American national unity, a timeless reminder of the moral strength and awesome power that can flow when a free people are at once united and bonded together in a common and just cause.
Not a modern, esoteric treatment, this is a monument in the neoclassic style consistent with the great capital structures. It's also within walking distance of the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and many other museums and sites directly related to the war. National WWII Memorial
Today I went to visit the new World War II Memorial in Washington, DC! I got an unexpected history lesson Because I'm a baby boomer, I was one of the youngest in the crowd. Most were the age of my parents, Veterans of "the greatest war," with their families. It was a beautiful day, and people were smiling and happy to be there. Hundreds of us milled around the memorial, reading the inspiring words of Eisenhower and Truman that are engraved there.
On the Pacific side of the memorial, a group of us gathered to read the words President Roosevelt used to announce the attack on Pearl Harbor, one elderly woman read the words aloud:
Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. With confidence in our armed forces, with the abounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph.
But as she read, she was suddenly turned angry. "Wait a minute," she said, "they left out the end of the quote. They left out the most important part. Roosevelt ended the message with "so help us God."
Her husband said, "You are probably right. We're not supposed to say things like that now." "I know I'm right," she insisted. "I remember the speech." The two looked dismayed, shook their heads sadly and walked away.
Listening to their conversation, I thought to myself, Well, it has been over 50 years she's probably forgotten." But she had not forgotten. She was right.
I went home and pulled out the book my book club is reading - "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley. It's all about the battle at Iwo Jima. I haven't gotten too far in the book. It's tough to read because it's a graphic description of the WWII battles in the Pacific. But right there it was on page 58. Roosevelt's speech to the nation ends in "so help us God."
The people who edited out that part of the speech when they engraved it on the memorial could have fooled me. I was born after the war.! But they couldn't fool the people who were there. Roosevelt's words are engraved on their hearts.
Now I ask: "Who gave them the right to change the words of history?????????" People today are trying to change the history of America by leaving God out of it, but the truth is, God has been a part of this nation, since the beginning. He still wants to be ... and He always will be!
World War I Memorial
While
the new memorial dedicated to those who fought in World War II attracts
thousands of visitors a day, a decaying memorial stands nearby with few
visitors: the DC World War I Memorial.
The World War I memorial is a white marble structure that resembles an
ancient Greek temple. It is near the Reflecting Pool but hidden in a grove
of trees, just a short walk from its World War II counterpart.
Built in 1931, the World War I memorial was dedicated by then-President
Herbert Hoover to honor the Washington, D.C., residents who fought in the
Great War. Tiny in comparison to its newest neighbor on the National Mall,
the memorial consists of 12 columns and a dome engraved with "A Memorial
to the Armed Forces From the District of Columbia Who Served Their Country
in the World War."
There are no signs directing tourists to the memorial.
Signs of neglect and decay are visible, with black streaks running from
the top of pillars and vegetation growing out of the dome. Last year, it
was listed on Washington's Most Endangered Places.
Pearl Harbor
Oahu, Hawaii
Oil droplets bubble to the surface of Pearl Harbor above the USS Arizona, creating a vivid link to the past. On a quiet Sunday morning December 7, 1941 a Japanese surprise air attack left the Pacific Fleet in smoldering heaps of broken, twisted steel. Here, peace was interrupted and paradise lost. In hours, 2,390 futures were stolen, half of these casualties from the battleship Arizona.
The USS Missouri — the revered Mighty Mo whose place in history was immortalized on Sept. 2, 1945 — was transformed into a floating museum memorial for public visitation. On June 21, 1998, Father's Day, the Missouri received a hero's welcome as it was towed into the waters fronting Honolulu's shoreline. The following day it entered Pearl Harbor for the final time, berthed on Ford Island's historic Battleship Row.
The National D-Day Museum is designated by Congress as America's National World War II Museum. It interprets the American experience during the World War II years and celebrates the American spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who won World War II and promotes the exploration and expression of these values by future generations. The National D-Day Museum preserves the stories of the American men and women who prevailed in an epic struggle against tyranny. You will learn how they lived, fought and died for your freedom in the most titanic war in world history. The saga of America's involvement in global conflict with the only museum in the country to focus on the amphibious invasions that occurred on D-Day.
Founded by the late historian Stephen Ambrose, this superb museum covers more than 125 amphibious assaults carried out by American soldiers across Europe and the Pacific. The 16,000-square-foot gallery features veterans' recorded oral histories, documentaries and interactive exhibits. It is all the more poignant for being located in the city where Andrew Higgins - a man President Eisenhower credited with winning the war-built the landing craft used in D-Day operations. A number of U.S. museums deal with the war, but this is the most comprehensive. The National D-Day Museum
Aleutian World War II National Historic Area
Dutch Harbor, Alaska
The Aleutian World War II National Historic Area encompasses the historic footprint of the U.S. Army base Fort Schwatka. Located on Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Island Chain of Alaska, the fort was one of four coastal defense posts built to protect Dutch Harbor (the back door to the United States) during World War II, the fort is also highest coastal battery ever constructed in the United States. In 1996 Congress designated this National Historic Area to interpret, educate, and inspire present and future generations about the history of the Aleut or Unangan people and the Aleutian Islands in the defense of the United States in World War II.
The only North American territory occupied by Japanese troops was in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Dutch Harbor is an easy two-hour flight from Anchorage, and the area is covered with reminders of the war, from concrete pillboxes to a large, underground hospital. This is a little-visited, impossibly scenic part of Alaska. Aleutian World War II National Historic Area
U.S. Air Force Museum
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
The oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world. The Museum uses both chronological and subjective layouts to tell the exciting story of aviation development from the days of the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk to the Space Age. Exhibits include over 300 aircraft and missiles, plus family oriented and historically interesting aeronautical displays. Over one and a half million visitors from around the world come to Ohio each year to tour this unique free attraction.
This is a must-visit for those with even a slight interest in WWII aircraft. With more than 300 aircraft, this is among the best military air museums in the world. The Air Power Gallery has more than 60 beautifully restored World War II aircraft, including a B-25B Mitchell bomber, a B-29 Superfortress and many others. Wright Patterson AFB
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
New York City
Building on the long and distinguished history of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, the Museum provides a glimpse back to a time when the future of the free world hinged on these great ships. Together with the submarine USS Growler visitors are treated to an inside look of life at sea, past, present and future.
This indestructible aircraft carrier fought in the turning-point Battle of Leyte Gulf, Philippines, withstanding five kamikaze strikes throughout the war. She served the U.S. Navy for another three decades and is now the focal point of this Manhattan (at Pier 86) museum with more than 25 aircraft. Intrepid Museum, USS Intrepid
War in the Pacific National Historical Park
Guam
This unique National Park is the only site in the National Park System that honors the bravery and sacrifices of all those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This includes the United States, Japan, and the Allied nations; Australia, Canada, China, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Netherlands,and the Soviet Union. At War in the Pacific National Historical Park (NHP), the former battlefields, gun emplacements, trenches, and historic structures all serve as silent reminders of the bloody battles that ensued on the Island of Guam, over 58 years ago.
This battlefield preserve encompasses seven separate units around the U.S. territory of Guam, where some of the war's most terrible battles were fought. Original coastal defense guns, bunkers, shipwrecks, Japanese caves, Banzai Hill and fascinating relics are easily accessible across the island. War in the Pacific National Historical Park
Japanese American National Museum
Los Angeles
The Japanese American National Museum is the only museum in the United States dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry. The founding of the Museum is a story of high hopes, remarkable achievements, frustration, and ultimately, success. Like the saga of generations of Japanese Americans, it is a story of tenacity. This is that story.
Displays at this museum in the heart of L.A.'s Japantown chronicle the forced relocation and imprisonment of Japanese-Americans. Nearby is a granite monument etched with the names of Japanese-American veterans of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team, whose heroics in Europe made it the most decorated unit of its size in U.S. Army history. Japanese American National Museum
Tillamook Air Museum
Tillamook, Ore.
See one of America's finest collection of over 30 War Birds including a P-38 Lightning, P-47 Thunderbolt, F4U-Corsair, P51-Mustang, PBY Catalina, B-25 Mitchell Bomber, and SBD Dauntless dive bomber.
Vulnerable coastlines led to the construction of enormous hangars for surveillance blimps along the Pacific Coast. This original seven-acre, barrel-roofed wooden hangar now houses one of the country's top private World War II aircraft collections. The chance to gape at the size of this building is worth the trip. And the Oregon coastline is remarkable. Tillamook Air Museum
