Remembering Pearl Harbor: WWII Museum holds special ceremony

Rescue crews work on the upturned hull of the 29,000 ton battleship USS Oklahoma December 8, 1941. The ship capsized after being blasted by Japanese warplanes December 7, 1941. Holes were burned through the hull to permit the rescue of some of the men trapped below.

Posted: Dec 7, 2017 / 09:21 AM AST

Updated: Dec 7, 2017 / 11:54 AM AST

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New Orleans — “Remember Pearl Harbor!” — That served as a rally cry for the entire country as the United States plunged into World War II, following the surprise attack by Japan, 76 years ago. Thursday, the World War II Museum used the slogan once again, commemorating the events of that infamous day.

Schedule:

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
US Marine Corps Band Quintet
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion

11:30 a.m. – Noon
Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration Ceremony
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Lagniappe Lecture
Jack Henkels presents 76 Years Ago: The Pearl Harbor Attack
H. Mortimer Favrot Orientation Center

After the musical performance and commemoration ceremony, Park Ranger Jack Henkels (formerly of the USS Arizona Memorial) answers questions like—why did the Japanese attack? And why was America so caught off-guard?

Museum attendants can also check out the other exhibits as well. The second floor of the museum has a gallery featuring the Pearl Harbor story, and also a piece of the U.S.S. Arizona.

And it’s a busy week at the Museum! Friday, they break ground on The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center, a property that will become an integral component of the Museum campus and city of New Orleans, exposing an even greater number of visitors to the educational mission of the museum! That ground breaking ceremony will be held at 10 AM at the corner of Andrew Higgins Drive and Magazine Street.

The National WWII Museum says this expansion is vital. As they grow into a world-class institution, the need to serve a rapidly increasing number of visitors, students, scholars and educators also continues to grow.