re: What should I see at WWII Museum tomorrow?

Posted by Methuselah

On da Riva

Member since Jan 2005

23350 posts

Posted on 9/27/14 at 6:30 am to Brightside Bengal

My favorite part is the exhibits with stuff that was actually used by the guys in the war. Weapons, mess tins, uniforms, helmets, letters they wrote, etc. (I'm actually like that about any museum = to see an arrowhead or a moccasin or a basket that was used thousands of years ago has always been fascinating to me).

Like someone above, my dad was also in the Pacific in WWII and we got to hear his stories and some stuff he brought back. But for me, that just makes me appreciate the museum more.

Posted by ksayetiger

Centenary Gents

Member since Jul 2007

68272 posts

Posted on 9/27/14 at 6:36 am to Brightside Bengal

germans

but the pacific wing is awesome too. really see:

quote:
everything

last year I went for the first time since the first year it opened (d-day back then) and was overwhelmed at how much bigger it was,.

Posted by GEAUXT

Member since Nov 2007

29223 posts

Posted on 9/27/14 at 8:25 am to Brightside Bengal

Just being redundant, but the entire museum is so well done it's hard to pick one thing over another.

We're really lucky to have such a fantastic museum here in the city.

Posted by tracytiger

Baton Rouge

Member since May 2009

3631 posts

Posted on 9/27/14 at 8:27 am to supatigah

quote:
I like the old uniforms. Amazing how physically small the greatest generation was.

Every meal was cooked at home and I'm sure a lot of these men came from modest families.

Posted by TigerstuckinMS

Member since Nov 2005

33687 posts

Posted on 9/27/14 at 9:55 am to Brightside Bengal

The thing that always gets me is the piece of trinitite they have right at the end of the Pacific exhibit. The layout intentionally recreates the feel that the island hopping never is going to end, then you turn the corner and BAM, there's a piece of desert sand fused into green glass by an atomic bomb.

Posted by soccerfüt

Location: A Series of Tubes

Member since May 2013

65535 posts

Posted on 9/27/14 at 10:16 am to TigerstuckinMS

Go to Hiroshima, that's a fun museum for Americans to walk through.

Posted by marie antoinette

Member since Nov 2007

6012 posts

Posted on 9/27/14 at 10:38 am to Brightside Bengal

I really love taking a moment to listen to the oral histories they have throughout the exhibits. One of my favorites is the women on the home front and their experience working on the higgins' boats.

Posted by OlGrandad

Member since Oct 2009

3488 posts

Posted on 9/27/14 at 11:10 am to marie antoinette

I enjoyed the entire museum but was personally interested in the Higgins boats. My dad hit the beach at Iwo Jima on one of these on the second wave. That is all he ever told me about his war experiences.

Posted by elprez00

Hammond, LA

Member since Sep 2011

29367 posts

Posted on 9/27/14 at 11:42 am to Methuselah

quote:
My favorite part is the exhibits with stuff that was actually used by the guys in the war. Weapons, mess tins, uniforms, helmets, letters they wrote, etc. (I'm actually like that about any museum = to see an arrowhead or a moccasin or a basket that was used thousands of years ago has always been fascinating to me).

Seeing this stuff brought back memories of my grandfather telling stories about the war. He didn't talk much about it, but one thing he did was food. Got some MREs after Rita and was amazed that "that's what soldiers get to eat now?"

Lot different than hard tack and potted meat. To the day he died, he ate whenever he was hungry. Told me back in the war you never knew when you were going to get chow, so he always ate whenever he was hungry.