WWII Museum at 25: Honoring stories before they're lost
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Higgins boat, which was designed and made in New Orleans, was used extensively during the D-Day offensive at Normandy. Photo: Bettman via Getty Images
The National WWII Museum is marking its 25th anniversary in the coming days by honoring the people who can still share firsthand stories of the war that shaped the modern world.
Why it matters: The New Orleans museum will welcome back WWII veterans and Holocaust survivors, whose numbers are dwindling as the years pass.
The big picture: The museum hosts several events during the next week in honor of the anniversary, including:
- The 2025 American Spirit Awards gala Friday night.
- A remembrance gathering at 6:30am June 6 to mark the moment the invasion of Normandy began.
- "The Eyes of the World" multimedia concert at The Orpheum on June 6. (Tickets)
- Dinner with a curator to discuss WWII-era New Orleans.
- A luminaria display on the museum grounds to honor the 2,510 Americans who died on D-Day.
- Full list of events.
Catch up quick: The venue opened 25 years ago as The National D-Day Museum.
- It was housed in a single exhibition hall and dedicated to telling the stories of the Americans who participated in the amphibious invasion.
Fun fact: The Higgins boats used on D-Day were designed and built in New Orleans. Fewer than 10 original boats remain in existence.
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower called Andrew Higgins "the man who won the war for us" thanks to his namesake landing craft.
State of play: Today, the museum spans seven pavilions and has immersive exhibits and an expansive collection of artifacts.
- Museum staff say it's critical to collect the oral history from veterans, as fewer than half of a percent of the 16.4 million Americans who served are still living.
- About 300 Louisiana WWII veterans were alive last year, compared with about 1,150 the year before, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
- "We have the enormous responsibility to ensure that the memories and experiences of the war will not be lost as those who lived through it leave this world," said Stephen J. Watson, president and CEO of the museum, in a statement.
