If you are ever in the NOLA area, I highly recommend spending an afternoon at the National World War II Museum. And you will need an afternoon… it takes a couple of hours to get through the exhibits and we still could have gone back for more. There is also a hour-long 4-D movie that is a must-see. “Beyond All Boundaries” includes the voices of many of Hollywood’s top actors like Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Garner, Neil Patrick Harris and Tobey Maguire- just to name a few. Tom Hanks is the narrator and Executive Producer.
The exhibits are very well done and cover every bit of the war… no matter how small the battle or remote the island. It shares faces of the war- both military and civilian. It tells the stories of loss and victory, celebration and heartbreak. We all left with a real sense of the personal side of the war- not just statistics or artifacts. And I got a “Rosie The Riveter” t-shirt that I love! I have always thought I would have enjoyed that era… I think I would have been a Rosie and also frequented the USO shows to do my part!
As a special treat, the last thing on our agenda was a nice dinner at The Stage Door Canteen. This is a dinner theater at the museum! We enjoyed a nice 3 course meal and then a show. The show called, “Let Freedom Swing” was a live show with singers and dancers. It showcased the classic music of the WWII era. We heard tunes like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. It was very enjoyable!! I know my Mom and I thought of my Grandmother many times… this was her kind of music.
Before the show started they asked if there were any WWII Veterans in the audience and one man help up is aged and frail hand. The entire auditorium was soon on their feet and applauding. He just smiled and waved. Towards the end of the show, my eyes wandered over to him. They had just started building up to the finale, so all of the songs were patriotic… he was singing every word and clapping- just having a great time. I couldn’t take my eyes off him and the pride he showed with every stanza he sang. The final number was “God Bless America” and even from across the auditorium, I could see him beaming. He eventually broke down in tears and put his face in his hands. I will forever remember that moment… he made me cry too and I am choked up as I type this. I can never begin to understand what he saw or did while serving us. No movie or book will come close to his reality. I take for granted every day that there are service men and women sacrificing so much so that I don’t have to. When I sing the words to “God Bless America” I am proud to be an American… but when he sings the words it is because he knows what it truly MEANS to be an American. We can learn so much from this generation of people that are beginning to become fewer and fewer in number.
Brad then drove us home so we could all sleep. Thankfully, the time change would give us a little extra time to sleep the next morning. (But that didn’t stop Brad from coming into my room to wake me up… he was telling me I had overslept and missed church! He and my Mom later figured out they were looking at clocks that hadn’t been changed!) After church and a quick lunch, we loaded up and started the drive home. It was a great trip, even though it was short. We will be spending Christmas with them, so I can’t wait to see them again soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment