In the Wednesday, September 20, 2011 edition of the Wall Street Journal, former Lockheed Martin CEO put forth the notion that studying history can boost our literacy in science, math, politics, and business. He specifically mentions the National History Day program as a leader in creative history education that emphasizes critical thinking and research skills. He then cites findings that show that students who participate in the History Day program consistently outperform their peers not only in history, but in reading, math, and science as well.
In January of this year, the findings of an independent evaluation on the impact of the National History Day program were released. The evaluation looked at schools in a wide variety of geographic regions and parental income levels. The school districts participating in the study included Aldine Unified School District in Texas, Paterson School District in New Jersey, Chesterfield County Schools in South Carolina, and a large urban/suburban district in Colorado. At all of these schools, students participating in NHD outperformed their peers in standardized tests, classroom performance, and independent writing assessments. Locally, two students from Metairie, LA scored Mastery on their LEAP test despite being English as Second Language students who have been in the United States for less than 4 years. Download reports that give a full overview of the NHD Evaluation methodology.
The third installment of Worker Wednesday features Ourtown, the settlement of Higgins employees that evolved from Shipyard Homes near the Industrial Canal operations of Higgins Industries. By 1944, Ourtown had grown into a thriving community with over 750 residential units. Ourtown had many of the features of other wartime neighborhoods– its own Red Cross chapter, Girl and Boy Scout troops, victory gardens, a primary school and library. Pictured in the Higgins Worker from Friday, September 22, 1944, are three of Ourtown’s Scouts participating in the Office of Civilian Defense’s (OCD) efforts to collect waste paper. The War Production Board created a program called “Paper Troopers” to engage the nation’s students in salvage efforts. Successful Paper Troopers could earn awards and advance in rank.
The National WWII Museum serves as the state sponsor for National History Day in Louisiana. This academically proven program places students in the role of professional historians as they develop a research topic and browse archives, museums, and libraries looking for sources. Museums, archives, and libraries lend their support to students participating in the program. In fact, the Society of American Archivists recently developed a website to support archivists and students with the National History Day program.
As one of the tour guides for our “Behind the Lines” tours, I’m consistently surprised by the knowledge of World War II hardware that our youngest guests possess. One of the tour’s highlights is a hands-on familiarization with the Infantry weapons used by the United States, Germany, Britain, Japan, and the Soviet Union. Usually, I can’t even get the weapons lockers open all the way before these kids are shouting, “Oh, oh, that’s a Thompson, that’s a Garand, oh and there’s my favorite, the B-A-R!” As I hand the weapons to these twelve-year olds, I see their eyes light up, and I ask, “Where did you learn about these weapons?” to which I receive the nearly universal reply, “Oh, I play Call of Duty!”
I have to admit I’m a rather big fan of the World War II-based first-person shooter myself, so I played the latest World War II based title in the “Call of Duty” series, “Call of Duty, World at War.” The game’s plot alternates between the 1st Marine Division’s Island-hopping campaign across the Pacific and the Soviet Army’s drive across Eastern Europe, exposing the player to historically based battles with historically accurate weapons and vehicles at their command. Game play is interspersed with archival footage of the actual battles it recreates along with a very well done dialogue that accurately describes the battle the player is about to experience, but in a fresh, present- tense kind of a way.
I realize violence in video games is a rather controversial subject, but I’m of the opinion that in the context of Infantry combat in World War II, violence is certainly necessary. War and warriors have always drawn the attention and admiration of little boys through the ages, and will continue to do so. I know a large portion of my childhood was filled with recreating scenes from movies like “The Sands of Iwo Jima”, with my little green plastic army men, or pretending to be Sgt. Stryker as the neighborhood kids and I played “War” outside after school. But now, little boys can literally look through John Wayne’s eyes, and learn about elements of World War II that I could never have imagined as a child. And they are learning, the popularity of these games has spawned a spin-off tour here at the museum, labeled as the “Call of Duty” tour, which is a shortened version of the “Behind the Lines” tour that just covers infantry weapons.
This post by The National WWII Museum Curator Larry Decuers.
A view of the casino gardens in Cannes, near where the first film festival was held in 1946. Gift of Sally Mays The National WWII Museum Inc., 2007.083.
Sixty-five years ago today, the 1st annual Cannes Film Festival began in the south of France where it is still held today. Though films are perhaps first and foremost meant to entertain, they nonetheless remain politically significant.
The founding of the new festival was led in large part by the French Minister of Education, Jean Zay, with substantial British and American interest in and support of a nonpolitical film festival. The festival at Cannes was created in response to the slightly older Venice Film Festival, founded in 1932, due to the blatant politicization of the films shown and winners chosen. The highest prize, for example, was called the Mussolini Cup after the country’s then Prime Minister between the years 1934 and 1942. Directors and films with clear political motives that appealed to both the fascist Italian and German states and bolstered their causes were the prize winners at Venice. Directors such as the propagandist director Leni Riefenstahl and films including Der große König (The Great King), one of Hitler’s own favorites, were expectedly the winners.
The first Cannes Film Festival was set to open 1 September 1939. For the history-savvy, the reason why it did not is obvious: Germany invaded Poland and shortly thereafter France and Great Britain declared war on Germany. The festival was postponed until this day sixty-five years ago, 20 September 1946. The all-encompassing war, although officially over, would remain ingrained in the collective European mind for decades. Inevitably, films such as Rossellini’s Rome, Open City which dealt honestly and directly with life in wartime and under occupation were the big winners at the first ever Cannes Film Festival in 1946.
This post by The National WWII Museum Curator Meg Roussel.
In honor of National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we’d like to offer a glimpse of one recent addition to our collection– the journal kept by Bruce L. Worrell during his time as a POW in Germany. Bruce L. Worrell was one of over 130,000 American prisoners of war during World War II. Worrell served with the 85th Infantry Division’s 359th Infantry Regiment and was captured in Italy in May 1944. Eleven months later he was liberated near Hannover, Germany. Featured here is the Page 1 of his “Wartime Log”.
Gift in Memory of Bruce L. Worrell Sr., The National World War II Museum, Inc., 2011.297
I’m very pleased to announce the release of The National WWII Museum’s Knit Your Bit program’s new pattern. I think you’ll find the pattern to be super easy and the veteran who receives your scarf will find it super cozy.
For those of you who may not be aware of Knit Your Bit, let me share the story: In 2006 we lauched the program calling on knitters throughout the country to send in scarves that we would then donate to veterans nationwide. The inspiration for the program came from knitting campaigns during World War II where people would get together and knit for soldiers. We hoped for 100, and now 15,000 scarves later, we have built relationships with knitters, knitting groups, veterans and veterans centers throughout the country who share the giving spirit and exchange kind words and deeds with strangers.
Veterans are eager to receive scarves, so if you knit or know someone who does, please visit the Knit Your Bit page for this year’s as well as previous patterns. We’ve created crochet versions as well. So pick whatever pattern makes you smile and knit a scarf for a veteran!
The Bohr-Heisenberg Meeting at Copenhagen: 70th Anniversary September 15-21, 1941
In the fall of 1941, the course of history in the Second World War took a different pathway based upon a mere conversation between two men. At first glance, it would appear unlikely such an event could have such an effect, particularly since both men were intentionally vague with each other, each later maintained misunderstandings of the other’s intention, and to this day the conversation remains shrouded in mystery. The two men were civilians, not soldiers; they were scientists, not politicians; they met in Nazi-occupied territory, not in free lands where they could speak frankly. Lastly and most importantly, they were thinkers dedicated to the discovery of knowledge of the natural world, not the mass destruction of human life.
But when the participants in this uncertain conversation were Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, then the import of the event becomes clearer. On the surface, the Dane of Jewish descent and the German Lutheran, separated in age by sixteen years, did not have much in common. But their lives were deeply intertwined with each other on personal, intellectual, and professional levels. They began as an internationally recognized physics professor and gifted student when they first met in 1922, the year Bohr became a Nobel laureate. But they became much more than that. Personally, Heisenberg virtually became another of Bohr’s sons and shared the intimacy of his family life. Intellectually, Bohr’s manner of thinking about physical problems in which he attempted to comprehend phenomena as a whole found balance, advancement and authenticity through collaboration with Heisenberg, whose fascination with and ability to find the music of mathematics located within physical events led to great scientific breakthroughs.
Today marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through the middle of October. This month commemorates and celebrates the diverse contributions of American citizens with ancestry from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
This year’s theme, “Many backgrounds, Many Stories . . .One American Spirit” is a perfect illustration of the involvement of Latinos and Latinas during World War II. Partially because Latinos did not serve in segregated units, as African Americans did, their stories and efforts during the war have been somewhat overlooked, until very recently. Despite discrimination at home, Hispanic Americans from across the country felt called to do their part during the war. Between a quarter and a half million Latinos served in the U.S. military. Countless Latinas signed up for the armed forces or rolled up their sleeves and built munitions and machinery necessary to win the war.
So what are we doing to observe National Hispanic Heritage Month at the museum? Teachers can sign up for our Virtual Field Trip Los Veteranos: Latinos during WWII, to introduce their students to the unique history of Hispanic Americans during the war and pay tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and bravery of Latinos and Latinas who served our country.
Brutal fighting takes its toll on a young Marine. National Archives image, Gift of Suzon Monrose Evans, The National World War II Museum Inc., 2001.291.005
The Battle for Peleliu
Today marks the 67th anniversary of the American invasion of Peleliu. Considered by many as one of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War, the high casualty rates and the questionability of the necessity of taking the island make Peleliu one of the more controversial battles of the war.
The invasion’s purpose was to capture an island that would aid MacArthur’s imminent retaking of the Philippines. Peleliu, along with Angaur and Morotai, were to be captured with the intention of using their airstrips from which aerial support could reach the Philippines when the time came. The 1st Marine Division would take Peleliu, with the 81st Infantry Division fighting for Angaur.
Despite intelligence suggesting that heavy pre-invasion bombardment of the island would render the enemy weak and in small numbers, the three day naval and aerial onslaught left many if not most of the Japanese defense fortifications and weaponry intact. Having dug and built underground, honeycombed fortifications, the Japanese defenses were well-suited to sustaining such an attack.
