The Wasp gets hit hard, 15 September 1942. Gift of Lionel Taylor, 2010.396.005
The USS Wasp (CV-7) was laid down on 1 April 1936, and commissioned on 25 April 1940. The [exceptionally small] aircraft carrier was built according to proportions agreed upon at the Washington Naval Conference in 1922. For the Wasp, this meant displacing no more than 15,000 tons. To build such a light aircraft carrier meant doing without much armor at all, which certainly contributed to the ship’s demise on this day 70 years ago, 15 September 1942.
Before America declared war, the Wasp was one of several ships that participated in the transport of US aircraft to Iceland in late summer 1941. After months spent training and patrolling the Atlantic—and an American declaration of war—Wasp was sent once again to ferry aircraft on behalf of the British RAF for actions at Malta in April 1942, and a return trip a month later to replace heavy aircraft losses in the first go-round.
After losing two carriers in naval combat (Lexington at Coral Sea and Yorktown at Midway), the Wasp was suddenly in high demand in the Pacific. With the American invasion of Guadalcanal in the works by July 1942, the Wasp was assigned to Admiral Fletcher’s force. Beginning in the early hours of 7 August 1942, Wasp’s Avengers, SBDs, and Wildcats hit several Japanese positions throughout the Guadalcanal islands, taking out 24 enemy aircraft at the cost of 4 of their own.
On 15 September 1942, Wasp along with the only other carrier available in the Pacific, the Hornet, was on escort duty ensuring the landing of 7th Marines on Guadalcanal proper. She was struck by several torpedoes fired from the Japanese submarine I-19. Being as Wasp was lightly armored due to its construction limitations, she was particularly vulnerable. On top of that, she was hit much like the battleship Arizona was at Pearl Harbor, struck near the magazine causing huge explosions from ammo and gasoline. The fires could not be fought and the order to abandon ship was given. After a successful evacuation, the Wasp soon rested on the floor of the waters off Guadalcanal. Though her aircraft in the sky at the time of the attack were able to make emergency landings elsewhere, the rest of the planes the Wasp carried were lost with the ship. Nearly 200 brave sailors lost their lives with the sinking of the Wasp, with many more wounded. Today, we remember those men.
Seventy years ago, on 13 September 1942, Higgins Industries in New Orleans received the Army-Navy “E” Award for excellence in production.The presentation ceremony was held on a Sunday afternoon, at the Industrial Canal Plant and was to serve the dual purpose of dedication of this new plant.
The “E” Award was bestowed from July 1942-December 1945 to businesses who had achieved a high standard in war production, training, plant safety and labor management. The company received a ceremonial pennant for display and each employee received a silver lapel pin. Like certain military awards, additional distinctions in the form of stars could be added to the initial award. Only around 4% of all companies engaged in war production received the Army-Navy Production Award, as the “E” Award was also known.
Invitation to the "E" Award ceremony. Gift in Memory of Lt. Col. Gustave Bouligny Baldwin IV, 2011.388.001
Program for the "E" Award Cermony. Gift of Walter Brunken, 2000.026.020
The program shows the schedule of events from the award ceremony.
National and local businesses, including Antoine's Restaurant, contributed congratulatory advertisements to the commemorative program.
"E" Award from Lester G. Briwa, Sr., engine tester at Higgins Industries. Gift of Lester G. Briwa Jr., 2001.148.003
The mission of The National WWII Museum is to tell the story of the American Experience in the war that changed the world — why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today — so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn.
As part of an ongoing exploration of “what it means today,” in September of 2011, the Museum unveiled an artifact that at first glance is not directly connected to the war our nation fought seven decades ago – a massive, 10-foot, 10,000-pound steel beam from an exterior column in the World Trade Center. The steel, on display outside the Museum’s Solomon Victory Theater, was donated by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Examining the many comparisons and contradictions made between the 9/11/01 attacks and the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, it’s obvious that this artifact is more than just a memorial to all who were lost – it’s a touch point for reflection. How were these two terrible events in our nation’s history alike? How were they different? These are questions that not only force us to examine these events, but also look back on who we were as a country and as human beings.
Both incidents were surprise attacks on a United States that had not declared war. Both elicited public reactions of collective shock, anger and fear that were spontaneous and national in scope. And in both cases, it can be argued that ultimately the attackers did not succeed in their goal to undermine Americans’ will or democratic institutions.
However, while Pearl Harbor was almost exclusively a military target, the focus of terrorists’ attacks in 2001 included a financial center and civilians as well as the Pentagon. Additionally, the enemy in 1941 was a major nation, easy to identify, while it was more difficult to pinpoint in 2001.
It is our hope that this display continues the conversation for generations to come. And today especially, the anniversary of 9/11, we extend our deepest condolences to all who were, and continue to be, affected by this tragedy.
Consolidated B-32 Dominator, the "Hobo Queen," during maintenance on Tinian, 1945. Gift of Elwyn Fink, 2010.216.364
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the maiden flight of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator. Never heard of the B-32 Dominator? Well, you’re not alone. Although the project to design this four-engine bomber began in 1940, the B-32 didn’t see combat until the last several weeks of the war. The Consolidated aircraft was the backup plan in case Boeing B-29 production ran into trouble, which it never did (it was standard protocol for the military to order parallel development programs in case one went wrong). The B-32, however, ran into myriad problems throughout its development, and the entire program was nearly scrapped on several occasions. Its first nearly real possible assignment was as a replacement for Mediterranean Theater B-24s beginning some time in 1944, but the Dominator wasn’t ready yet. That transition was never made.
But when 5th Air Force General Kenney couldn’t get his hands on the B-29s he requested, he settled instead for B-32s to serve as replacements for his B-24s. The 386th Bomb Squadron was reoutfitted with B-32s. The Dominator flew its very first combat mission over the Philippines on 29 May 1945, just a few months before the war ended. So the B-32’s claim to fame that none were ever lost in combat isn’t quite as impressive is it might sound. In mid-August a pair of Dominators doing photo reconnaissance were faced with Japanese Zeros. The “Hobo Queen II” was able to shoot down two of the Zeros, but Sgt. Anthony Marchione was killed, making him the last air casualty of American forces in World War II.
The B-32 program was shut down just days after the Japanese officially surrendered, and all Dominators were scrapped before 1950. Only about 100 were ever manufactured.
Consolidated B-32 Dominator Specs:
Armament:
Ten .50-caliber machine guns plus a 20,000-pound bomb load
Engines:
Four Wright R-3350-23 Cyclone radial engines (2200 hp)
Bremen in ruins after heavy bombardment. Gift in Memory of Robert John McNary Smith, 2011.168.411
The city of Bremen, Germany had been beneath the shadows of British bombs since May 1940. British bombing raids—later joined with those of the US 8th Air Force—grew more and more common in the following years. When on this day in 1942 more than 200 British aircraft flew over Bremen, more than 100 people were killed, hundreds more injured, and vast damage was done to the infrastructure of the city. It would be repeatedly hit in the years following.
The Kunsthalle Bremen, the city’s art museum, was among the damaged buildings. While most of the artwork had been removed to safety for the very reason of the possibility of bomb damage, one piece was left where it hung: German American artist Emanuel Leutze’s famous Washington Crossing the Delaware, which at 12 x 21 feet was too massive to move. The September 5th strike burned many of the museum’s galleries, and also burned and destroyed Leutze’s painting. The piece by the same name which you may have seen hanging in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art was the second version of the painting, replicated by Leutze himself just after painting the original in 1850-51.
Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851
Having learned the lesson the hard way, the directors of the Kunsthalle Bremen split up the collection and moved it several times, with a portion of it finally settling in a castle outside of Berlin. That particular portion of the museum’s collection, including masterpieces by van Gogh and Titian among other notable artists, was captured by Soviet Capt. Viktor Baldin, and sent back to Russia where they remain—albeit controversially—to this day. The pieces are now referred to as the Baldin Collection, and are held at the Hermitage despite Baldin’s attempts in the years after the war to have the works returned to the Kunsthalle Bremen. Russian leadership has categorically refused. Hundreds of pieces of the Kunsthalle Bremen’s collection not accounted for in the Baldin Collection remain missing to this day.
Seventy years ago today, on 24 August 1942, a young girl in New Orleans was thanked in a letter from the American Women’s Voluntary Services (AWVS). Betty’s entertainment efforts were highlighted in our 2009 special exhibit, Entertaining the Troops. Below are images of Betty and some of the costumes she donated to the Museum. She and the other young girls in the troupe from the famed dance academy in New Orleans, Lelia Haller School of Dance, wore these costumes while dancing for servicemen to Carmen, Yankee Doodle Dandy and Ravel’s Bolero .
Brazilian sleeve insignia. Gift of the Bornio family, 2010.299.182
In 1942, Brazilian casualties numbered more than 1,000 at sea, all struck by German U-boats. Though the government under dictatorial President Getúlio Vargas sought neutrality—largely to avoid losing business with the powers on either side of the conflict—the people of Brazil largely commiserated with the Allied cause. On 22 August 1942, 70 years ago today, the nation of Brazil declared war on the Axis powers of Germany and Italy.
Prior to the official declaration, Brazil was cooperating with both the Axis and the Allies, though more economically than militarily. The United States had begun building air bases in Brazil in early 1942, but Brazil was still also working and trading with Germany and Italy. Shortly after agreeing to allow US air bases to be built, and while technically still neutral, Brazil had announced it would no longer deal diplomatically with Germany, Italy, or Japan in late January 1942. Six months later, however, Brazil officially sided with the Allies when it declared war.
The US air bases built in Natal and Recife would support aerial runs over North Africa, as well as to the China-Burma-India Theater. In addition to supporting existing American forces and missions, the Brazilians themselves fought on the ground in Italy under Gen. Mark Clark’s Fifth Army; the Brazilian Air Force was represented in the skies, flying American P-47 Thunderbolt, also over Italy; and the navy of Brazil also actively hunted the ever-present and devastating U-boats that had pushed the Brazilians into war against Germany. The Brazilians had other reasons for entering, as well. They hoped to improve their overall military and sustain that improvement after the war. They would be given much needed equipment and training from the US military.
Nearly 1,000 Brazilian lives of the more than 25,000 sent overseas as part of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB, short for Força Expedicionária Brasileira) were sacrificed in their effort to defeat fascism.
Brazilians at War in Italy Image Gallery
Three Martin Mariner seaplanes returning to base, the Corcovado mountains in the background. 1 February 1944. Gift of Charles Ives, 2011.102
US Navy Martin Mariner seaplanes fly over the Atlantic on their way out from Bahia, Brazil. Gift of Charles Ives, 2011.102
US Navy Martin Mariner seaplanes in flight over Rio de Janeiro, guarding convoys to and from Brazil. 1 February 1944. Gift of Charles Ives, 2011.102
Southwest of Recife, Brazil, where a US air base was located, was a recreation center for men of the US Fourth Fleet. On horseback is Capt. Walter Gorden Roper, commanding officer of the center nicknamed Atlanta after his hometown. Gift of Charles Ives, 2011.102
Recreation center nicknamed "Atlanta" located in Tegipio, Brazil had a horseacing track called Peachtree Downs. Gift of Charles Ives, 2011.102
Hemispheric unity takes to the air at Natal, Brazil. In the US Brasilian Aviation Training Unit, Brazilian airmen are instructed by US Navy experts in operations and maintenance of American-built planes. Gift of Charles Ives, 2011.102
President Vargas inspects ships and troops as the 2nd Brazilian Expeditionary Force embarks. 14 October 1944. Gift of Charles Ives, 2011.102
The 2nd Brazilian Expeditionary Force en route to Europe on the deck of a US Navy transport witness a Crossing-the-Line ceremony. 14 October 1944. Gift of Charles Ives, 2011.102
Greeted by a warm handshake from Lt. A. A. Libby Jr. (right), Lt. Luthers Vargas (left), son of Brazilian President Vargas, is welcomed to the US Naval Air Station at St. Louis, Missouri. 26 December 1943. Gift of Charles Ives, 2011.102
Capt. Eugene Barbero (left), a US ordnance officer assigned to the BEF, and Capt. Wilson Dickerson, a US field artillery officer, after being awarded the Brazilian military Order of Merit by Gen. Joao Batista Mascarenhas. 16 Novemebr 1944. Gift in Memory of William F. Caddell Sr., 2007.048
Gen. Joao Batista Mascarenhas of the BEF pins the Brazilian military Order of Merit on US Capt. Eugene C. Barbero, who was assigned to the BEF. 16 November 1944. Gift in Memory of William F. Caddell Sr., 2007.048
Group of Brazilian soldiers gather around a shell hole on the porch of the BEF command post in Italy.16 November 1944. Gift in Memory of William F. Caddell Sr., 2007.048
Cpl. Marcilio Juiz Pinto of Sao Paolo smiles with his Silver Star which he just received from Lt. Gen. Mark Clark. He is the first Brazilian enlisted man to receve a US decoration for bravery. 16 November 1944. Gift in Memory of William F. Caddell Sr., 2007.048
Capt. Airosa da Silva of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force after being awarded the Bronze Star by Gen. Mark Clark.16 November 1944. Gift in Memory of William F. Caddell Sr., 2007.048
United Press correspondent Robert Vermillion interviews frontline Brazilian troops Pvt. Edgar Rodriges, Pvt. Gauza, and Lt. Argolo in Italy. 11 December 1944. Gift in Memory of William F. Caddell Sr., 2007.048
Fifth Army in Castel di Casio, Italy. US General Wooten, Brazilian Air Minister Joaquim Pedro Salgado Filho, and US Generals Crittenberger, and Greeley visit Brazilian troops on the IV Corps front. 12 December 1944. Gift in Memory of William F. Caddell Sr., 2007.048
Brazilian Air Minister Filho talks with liaison pilots. Castel di Casio, Italy, 12 December 1944. Gift in Memory of William F. Caddell Sr., 2007.048
Brazilian solders guard German prisoners in Italy. Gift in Memory of William F. Caddell Sr., 2007.048
Today marks the 70th anniversary of what many consider a disastrous raid on the German-occupied port of Dieppe, France. The codenamed Operation Jubilee was designed by British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Chief of Combined Operations who saw unexpected success with the commando raid on St. Nazaire earlier in 1942. In an atmosphere of continued Allied losses from Singapore to Malaya to the Dutch East Indies, in addition to Josef Stalin’s perpetual insistence that the western Allies do something to draw off German troops from the Eastern front, a raid on Dieppe seemed a fair compromise to raise Allied morale and reassure the Soviets that the British, Canadians, and Americans were doing all they could at that moment.
An attack force of 6,000 men made up of approximately 5,000 Canadians, 1,000 British, 50 US Army Rangers, and a dozen or so Free French fighters reached the shores of Dieppe at around 0500 hours on 19 August 1942. The operation had been repeatedly postponed due to poor weather, and it is likely that the lost time allowed the Germans to surmise an attack was coming. Luftwaffe reconnaissance surely saw an upsurge in amphibious vehicles off the coast of England, and to a lesser degree the anxious men who were to make the raid may have suffered from a bad case of loose lips. The Germans’ preparedness for the Allied landing that morning certainly suggests they knew what was coming.
In addition to heavy firepower and coastal defenses on the beaches, the Allied force suffered its own shortcomings. Pre-invasion bombardment had been planned on from the beginning, but was canceled due to the fear of harming French civilians. The Churchill tanks—which were not designed as amphibious vehicles but were used as such regardless—accompanying the landing force were essentially rendered useless once they hit the gravel beaches and the high seawall. Most were quickly knocked out, thereby stripping the infantrymen of armored support.
Less than six hours after landing, the Allied force called a retreat to which only 3,000 or so men responded. More than 900 Canadians and 260 British commandos were killed in action, and the remaining 2,100 Allied troops who survived were either wounded or captured. A hefty arsenal of weapons was lost on the beaches, which had the adverse effect of providing the enemy with a close-up study of Allied weaponry. Of the 50 US Army Rangers who partook in the raid, three were killed including Lt. Edward Loustalot, a Louisiana native, who was the first American to be killed in action by German forces in ground combat in Europe.
The Dieppe Raid was a costly loss for the Allies, and referred to by some as a massacre. However, the operation was intended as a test run for the eventual massive invasion of occupied France. The idea of Mulberry Harbors, for example, was a result of the evidence gained at Dieppe that an invading force would not be able to penetrate the Atlantic Wall and capture an occupied port. It was made clear as well those amphibious vehicles needed vast improvement. Though none of the raid’s goals were met and hundreds sacrificed their lives, the battle at Dieppe arguably saved hundreds or thousands of lives on D-Day at Normandy less than two years later by providing harsh but necessary lessons. As Admiral Mountbatten put it, “For every soldier who died at Dieppe, ten were saved on D-Day.”
Image Gallery
Dieppe was a costly trial run for D-Day. Gift of James Moorman, 2002.439
Gravel beaches made the use of Churchill tanks nearly impossible. Gift of James Moorman, 2002.439
The aftermath of the Dieppe Raid, 18 August 1942. Gift of James Moorman, 2002.439
Only half of the raiding force returned home; the rest were killed, MIA, or taken prisoner. Gift of James Moorman, 2002.439
Hundreds of Allied prisoners of war are marched through Dieppe. Gift of James Moorman, 2002.439
The wounded. Gift of James Moorman, 2002.439
The survivors rely on each other. Gift of James Moorman, 2002.439
Allied prisoners of war take a breather after the disastrous battle. Gift of James Moorman, 2002.439
Artifact Spotlight: Capt. George LaBreche
RAF Type C Flying Helmet worn by US Capt. George LaBreche on the Dieppe Raid. Gift of Jerrye LaBreche, 2005.003
Captain LaBreche in his flying helmet. Gift of Jerrye LaBreche, 2005.003
Though the fifty US Rangers who participated in the Dieppe Raid are perhaps the more well known of Americans in that mission, a few US airmen were in the skies overhead as well.
Capt. George J. LaBreche of the US Army Air Force flew his first combat mission as commander of the 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group of the 8th Air Force. One of the first units sent overseas to England, the 307th flew out of the Royal Air Force base at Biggen Hill. Later that summer, as overhead support for the Dieppe Raid, Captain LaBreche led the first US sortie in British Supermarine Spitfires–with US markings–instead of the P-39s they had trained on (they had since been deemed unsuitable for the unit’s purposes). LaBreche’s 31st Fighter Group was the US Army Air Force’s sole participant in the Dieppe Raid.
Less than three months later, LaBreche flew in support of Operation Torch where he was shot down, making a crash landing. Captain LaBreche made his way back to his airfield and continued combat flight operations without interruption. In one of his last missions in 1943 Captain LaBreche escorted British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s aircraft in the North African theater.
Makin Island from the periscope of the submarine Nautilus
With the first American ground offensive underway just a few dozen miles away at Guadalcanal, two companies of marines from the newly formed 2nd Raider Battalion–a.k.a. Carlson’s Raiders–landed at Makin Island in the Gilbert chain on 17 August 1942. Their mission was manifold. First and foremost, the hope was to divert reinforcements headed for Guadalcanal to Makin. Gathering intelligence and destroying Japanese supplies and communications would be plusses.
Marine raiders were all volunteers. Thousands applied and only a small percentage was deemed suitable for their tasks. Once accepted to the program, raiders underwent specialized training, specific to their upcoming missions. Carlson’s Raiders, so named for their legendary commanding officer Lt. Col. Evans Carlson, trained on submarines and rubber boats in addition to hand-to-hand combat before shipping out to Makin Island on 8 August 1942. Second in command was President Roosevelt’s oldest son, James. Carlson’s leadership style was innovative, and went against age-old military protocol. Officers were called by their first names. Decisions were made by all involved, majority ruled. Their motto was “Gung Ho,” meaning “work together.” The brass may not have liked it, but the men who served with Carlson surely did.
Two-hundred marines of the 2nd Raider Battalion were transported from Pearl Harbor to Makin by the submarines Nautilus and Argonaut. Arriving at their target, Makin Island, and departing the subs at midnight on 17 August, the raiders succeeded in reaching the beaches undetected, traveling on rubber boats. Although chaos ensued due to rougher waters than expected and the inability of officers to communicate with one another, the raid was ultimately a success depending on which way you looked at it.
Marine Raider Insignia. Gift in Memory of Nathan Schaffer MD, 2009.551
The USS Argonaut leaving Pearl Harbor. Gift of Jane Dickman Schlaht, 2011.124
The USS Nautilus leaving Pearl Harbor. Gift of Jane Dickman Schlaht, 2011.124
British-made Boys anti-tank rifle used by the Raiders to fire at enemy seaplanes. Gift of Mrs. Phyllis Taylor, 2011.468
General Carlson aboard the Nautilus after the raid on Makin Island. Courtesy of the National Archives
Sgt. Clyde Thomason, the first enlisted marine to earn the Medal of Honor in WWII.
More than a hundred Japanese soldiers were killed, most in banzai charges. While this meant fewer enemies to fight later on, it also meant no prisoners were taken and therefore no intelligence gained. Radio, ammunition and fuel dumps were decimated, but with few enemy forces left on the island, this was an insignificant victory. Using a Boys anti-tank rifle (see an example from our collection above), the raiders damaged or destroyed a few Japanese seaplanes on the water. Instead of drawing reinforcements away from the harsh fighting at Guadalcanal, however, some argue that the Japanese were made to feel even more vulnerable by the raid on Makin and therefore tried to reinforce most of their outposts throughout the Pacific, making future battles more difficult and more costly.
Getting off the island proved the most difficult part of the raid, as the choppy waters forbade more than half of the marines from making it back to the submarines off the coast. The surf was just too rough. After an attempt by a rescue boat to reach the stranded marines failed, those remaining on Makin made do with what they had in true raider fashion, building a small boat and meeting the submarines elsewhere.
Despite its shortcomings, the raid proved that the newly-formed raider units were more than capable of achieving the goals for which they were created. It was on the Makin Raid that Sgt. Clyde Thomason became the first enlisted marine to earn the Medal of Honor in World War II for his actions above and beyond the call of duty. He was one of 19 marines who lost their lives that day. Nearly a dozen others were taken prisoner, and later executed by the Japanese on Kwajalein Atoll.
Upon the marines’ return to Pearl Harbor, all sailors present in the harbor were on deck, with flags at half mast to show respect for the returning raiders. Admiral Nimitz himself showed up to congratulate the raider in persons. You can see clips of this event in the video below. In 2000, the remains of those raiders who sacrificed all were discovered on Makin, returned to their families, and reinterred in the United States. Many now lay in Arlington National Cemetery. The US Navy amphibious assault ship Makin Island (LHD-8) was commissioned in honor of the raid in 2009.
In 2006, at the Museum’s inaugural International Conference on World War II, officials from Norway donated a unique Nazi atomic artifact. Norwegian Counsel General Svein H. Andreassen attended the event representing Norwegian Ambassador Knut Vollebaek to present the rare gift to the Museum on behalf of the People of Norway.
That artifact was a metal barrel that contained “heavy water” – an integral component used in atomic fission and proof that Hitler was attempting to develop nuclear weapons. It was produced by the Norsk Hydro company in Norway under Nazi occupation.
After multiple bombing attacks by saboteurs and the Allied Air Forces on the facility, the Nazis decided to transport all of the Norwegian heavy water they had produced to Germany so that their scientists could carry on their research in safety. Today, it is known that the Germans abandoned their race for the bomb in February 1944, but the Allies did not have this information at the time.
Museum President and CEO, Dr. Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller commented at the time “This barrel and its contents were central to the Nazi’s efforts to produce an atomic weapon and its existence tells part of the dramatic story of the secret arms race between the Allies and Axis powers of World War II.”
To transport the heavy water from the plant in Norway to Berlin, the barrels had to be loaded onto a ferry and taken across Lake Tinn in Norway. Fortunately, the operation was a failure. On February 20, 1944, British-trained Norwegian resistance fighters planted an explosive device on board the ferry and exploded it as the vessel crossed the middle of the lake, sinking it in the body of water’s deepest reaches and effectively ending the Nazi’s atomic ambitions. The event was the subject of the Kirk Douglas film, Heroes of Telemark.
The wreckage of the ferry was located 1,200 feet underwater in 1993 by Telemark natives Johny Skogtad and Thor Olav Sperre (both were in attendance for the presentation). The barrel was recovered from the bottom of the frigid, freshwater lake in 2004 by the Texas underwater archaeology firm, ProMare with the assistance of both Skogstad and Sperre. ProMare’s Brett Phaneuf was also on hand for the memorable presentation.
In 2006, at the Museum’s inaugural International Conference on World War II, officials from Norway donated a unique Nazi atomic artifact. Norwegian Counsel General Svein H. Andreassen attended the event representing Norwegian Ambassador Knut Vollebaek to present the rare gift to the Museum on behalf of the People of Norway.
