National WWII Museum

[CaptO]

A few weeks ago I went to the WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA (NOLA) while there on business (yes, business! Not to say I didn't have a good time at the Mardi Gras prade I went to!) Anyway, I have posted the pictures of the museum on my Picasa site. Here are a few:

 

SBD Duantless

 

And the underside.

 

The Museum's prize C-47. It has an interesting story behind it.

 

MG-42

 

FLAK 36/37

 

The plate on the Higgins Boat

 

The Higgins Boat

 

Top Secret-Bigot. I only know what that is because of the D-Day book by Ambrose. The "Bigot" designation was to identify information Top Secret information that specifically to do with the Operation Overlord. Only a very few people were given that designation, with more and more by necessity as the time for d-day got closer.

 

Japanese Type 92 Machine Gun

 

Total support and forces for landings

 

Once again the rest of the pictures can be found here.

[verow]

Great pictures, as usual, Todd . Once again I'm jealous , thanks for sharing.

 

Vee

[roque_riojas]

Capt. I am going to try and make it there sometime this spring or early summer. Got an e/m from

the historian there. He wants an interview,don't know why, there are others that did more than me.

[CaptO]

there are others that did more than me.

Perhaps, but you did do your part - and made several D-Days, not just one!

 

Also, none are quite as muy macho and suave!

 

 

[roque_riojas]

Perhaps, but you did do your part - and made several D-Days, not just one!

 

Also, none are quite as muy macho and suave!

 

 

 

It's said----A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, 2 PICS?? HMMMMM

[Dogdaddy]

I think I'm going to have to watch my documentary "American Divisions in Italy" again. There is one scene of several GI's with their helmets off and one of them looks like the "Younger Rocky" photo above.

[Walt's Daughter]

Wow, wouldn't that be cool. I keep looking for my dad. Hey, you never know.

[CaptO]

Here are some new pictures of the WWII Museum from my last trip to New Orleans. I took a lot of pictures in black and white (film) and so I have to wait until that is deveolped to post those. [Photographic note: I shot Tri-X film (ISO 400) at 1600 so it should be grainy - I love grainy! That's why I shot in film.]

 

This was a WWII Vet volunteer telling us about the higgins boat there.

 

 

There was a picture on the plaque that told about boat. He mentioned that the picture seemed to show troops landing on some hostile beach but he said it was no doubt a practice landing. The picture:

 

 

The original caption from NARA: "American troops of the 163rd Infantry Regiment hit the beach from Higgins boats during the invasion of Wadke Island, Dutch New Guinea." Lt. Kent Rooks, May 18, 1944. 111-SC-190968.

 

He said that it was unlikely to be an invasion shot because:

1. The unexploded grenade sitting on the beach

2. The unattended AA machine guns on the boat to the right

3. The bows and tarp in the boat in the middle

4. The fact that the boats haven't come up closer to the shore

There were a couple more I forgot.

 

Incidentally, the bows I had noticed in that shot before. He said that was so you could pull a tarp over the cargo area. He pointed out the blocks that hold the slates in.

 

 

 

 

The rest are here. The last 10 are new. Here is a picture of me, Frank Mikolajczak (who went to Okinawa with me), and one of my captains, Keith Huckaby.

 

[Walt's Daughter]

I am looking forward to visiting that museum. I am a proud member and am so glad this museum exists to honor our vets.

 

 

BTW Todd, I eagerly await the Tri-X. Hmm, hmmm, good! Makes me wanna go out and take BW photographs.

 

You also make a good tour guide!