Photography by Luke Teigue | Owl Staff
Although New Orleans is known for its vast culture and history, the city also houses one of the most highly regarded WWII museums in the world. Take a look at the photos below to learn more, and be sure to thank a veteran in your life today.
This Douglas C-47 “Skytrain” saw late-war action over Operation Market Garden, The Battle of the Bulge, and Operation Varsity. It’s most notable performance was during the Normandy invasion, carrying the 82nd Airborne Division into Nazi-occupied France.
On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese forces, leaving 2,343 dead, 1,272 wounded, and 960 missing. The attack destroyed 151 planes and either damaged or sank all eight battleships at anchor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it “a date which will live in infamy.”
Although the war in Europe began in 1939, the United States did not officially enter the conflict until after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. For the next four years, America would produce 22.6 million “M1” helmets for more than 16 million soldiers.
One of the most dangerous jobs of the war was that of a bomber crew. Typically, the bombardier was stationed at the nose of the plane, as seen on this B-24 “Liberator.“
The largest amphibious assault in military history took place on June 6, 1944 across the English Channel onto the beaches at Normandy, France. Over 150,000 Allied troops, 6,000 ships, 50,000 vehicles, and 11,000 planes took part in the operation. On Omaha Beach, U.S. forces suffered over 2,400 casualties in just one day.
A character now synonymous with wartime resilience, “Kilroy” was often used as a morale booster and indicated that American forces were not too far away.
On May 8, 1945, less than one year after the Normandy invasion, the war in Europe came to a close. However, the ongoing American war effort in the Pacific was not yet finished. This Japanese 75mm field gun displays what may have been the usual setting for the island-hopping warfare of the Pacific theatre.
The final blows of the war were some of the most destructive and deadly, with two notable instances being the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The flight record shown here is official documentation from the flight on August 6, 1945.
The second bomb was dropped only three days after the first, on August 9. The explosion was around 40% more powerful, and these glass bottles were warped by the immense heat.
From left to right: The Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. The Silver Star is the third-highest military decoration for valor in combat, while the Purple Heart is awarded to those wounded or killed while serving. Over one million Purple Hearts were awarded during the war.