Just days ahead of Veterans Day, the National WWII Museum in New Orleans (America’s official WWII museum) will open its new, state-of-the-art, $400 million Liberation Pavilion — just in time for the last surviving members of the WWII generation, most in their 90s or older, to experience what was built in their honor.
Liberation Pavilion, the Museum’s capstone exhibit hall, is a three-story Pavilion housing two floors of exhibit space featuring personal experiences, iconic imagery, impactful artifacts, and immersive settings, as well as a third-floor theater offering audiences a brand-new cinematic experience.
Featuring powerful artifacts, first-person accounts, immersive environments, and a new cinematic experience, the three-story Liberation Pavilion will explore the end of World War II, the Holocaust, the postwar years and how the war continues to impact our lives today.
Over the last 20 years, The National WWII Museum located in downtown New Orleans has expanded its campus from one exhibit hall to seven pavilions paying tribute to the men and women who helped secure Allied victory in World War II.
Available for interviews on Wednesday, November 8, is Michael Bell, Executive Director of the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy will showcase the Museum’s Liberation Pavilion and explain how it advances the Museum’s mission to tell the story of the American experience in World War II and what it means today.
- Designated by Congress as the official WWII Museum of the United States, The National WWII Museum is located in downtown New Orleans on a seven-acre campus where we have welcomed over 9 million visitors since opening in 2000.
- The Museum’s expansive collections include more than 250,000 artifacts supporting major exhibits and research and over 12,000 personal accounts from members of the WWII generation.
- There are an estimated 119,550 living WWII veterans out of the 16 million men and women who served in World War II. This makes the Museum’s mission of telling their story even more critical.
About: Michael S. Bell, PhD (COL, USA, Ret.), is the Executive Director of the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy. Following graduation from the US Military Academy at West Point, he is a combat veteran, historian, and strategist who has served at every level from platoon through theater army, as well as with US Central Command, the Joint Staff, the West Point faculty, and the National Defense University. As a civilian, he also served the Office of the Secretary of State and as a National Security Council Senior Director and Special Assistant to the President of the United States. His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star, Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award, Joint Staff Badge, and Combat Action Badge.
About The National WWII Museum
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. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, the institution celebrates the American spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front.
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