Join us for these free, public events in conjunction with the special exhibit, Bob Hope: An American Treasure, on display August 3, 2013 through October 27, 2013. For more information call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Opening Reception Thursday, August 1, 2013 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm Louisiana Memorial Pavilion & Special Exhibit Galleries
Join Miranda Hope, Bob Hope’s granddaughter, as we open Bob Hope: An American Treasure. To RSVP or for more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Film Screening–Road to Morocco (1942) Thursday, August 15, 2013 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Solomon Victory Theater
Released during the war, this 1942 film stars Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. The third of the “Road to…” movies, it is the story about two fast-talking guys cast away on a desert shore and is full of laughs. For more information or to RSVP, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Lagniappe Lecture – “Golf During World War II” by Tom Gibbs Wednesday, August 28, 2013 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm H. Mortimer Favrot Orientation Center
Augusta National a turkey farm? Abercrombie and Fitch producing golf balls as if they were going out of style? World War II affected the game of golf more than you may think. Historian Tom Gibbs presents on how the game changed, from materials to courses, during wartime. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
CANCELED – Pub Quiz Wednesday, August 28, 2013 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Stage Door Canteen
The August 28, 2013 Pub Quiz has been canceled. Please join us on September 25, 2013 for our next Pub Quiz.
Dinner with a Curator – “Entertaining the Troops” Tuesday, September 17, 2013 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Stage Door Canteen
Millions of Americans — average citizens and celebrities alike — were engaged in the effort to entertain the 16 million American men and women who served during World War II. These entertainers sustained the troops before and during their darkest hours and reminded them why they were fighting. They made donuts, told jokes, sang and danced, smiled and lent an ear. One such volunteer was Bob Hope, who spent his lifetime entertaining troops through the USO, and was named an “Honorary Veteran” by an Act of Congress in 1997. Hear about the efforts to boost morale during World War II and get a special look inside the special exhibit, Bob Hope: An American Treasure. To make your reservation, call 504-528-1943.
Film Screening – The Princess and the Pirate (1944) Thursday, September 19, 2013 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Stage Door Canteen
Join us for this 1944 comedy starring Bob Hope and Virginia Mayo. The film is about a princess who travels incognito to elope with her true love instead of marrying the man to
whom she is betrothed. On the high seas, her ship is attacked by pirates who plan to kidnap her and hold her for ransom, unaware that she will be rescued by the unlikeliest
of knights errant. Produced by Samuel Goldwyn, The Princess and the Pirate received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Music Score. For more information or to RSVP, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Pub Quiz Wednesday, September 25, 2013 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Stage Door Canteen
This month’s Pub Quiz will feature rounds on golf and Bob Hope in addition to the usual eclectic array of topics!
Book Discussion – Once Upon a Town by Bob Greene Tuesday, October 8, 2013 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Stage Door Canteen
During World War II, American soldiers from every city and walk of life rolled through North Platte, Nebraska, on troop trains en route to their ultimate destinations around the world. The tiny town transformed its modest railroad depot into the North Platte Canteen and offered food, treats, welcoming words, friendship and support to over six million GIs by the time the war ended. For more information or to RSVP, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Bob Hope Family Day Saturday, October 26, 2013 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
The whole family is invited for special kid-friendly activities tied to the history of one of America’s greatest ambassadors, Bob Hope! For more information or to RSVP, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Performance: Thanks for the Memories: Bob Hope and His All-Star Pacific Tour September 20, 21 & 23 | September 27, 28 & 29 October 11, 12 & 13 | October 18 & 20 Stage Door Canteen
A cast of 14 recreates the USO performances of Bob Hope, Judy Garland, The Andrews Sisters, Carmen Miranda and more with our Victory Swing band. Just imagine how thrilled the troops were to hear such favorites as I’ll Be Seeing You, Somewhere Over the Rainbow and, of course, Thanks for the Memories.
Major Newton Cole was captured on 19 June 1944, D+13 near St. Lô. On 4 July 1944, he wrote his wife, Marion, back in Medford, Massachusetts, telling of his capture.
Gift of The Men of Oflag 64, 2006.130
Cole became one of 1,500 prisoners at Oflag 64, a POW camp for American officers near Szubin, Poland.
Our special exhibit, Guests of the Third Reich (a title taken from Cole’s POW journal) is in its last days; it closes on 7 July. In honor of Independence Day, visit our gallery or Guests of the Third Reich: American POWs in Europe to learn more about Newton Cole and to read his Wartime Log in its entirety.
Meanwhile back at the Museum…. we wrapped up our series Hogan’s Heroes Happy Hour, in the line of related programming for our special exhibit, Guests of the Third Reich: American POWs in Europe. Over the course of five weeks, we followed 10 episodes of the television sitcom, which aired from 1965-1971. With over 160 episodes to choose from, it was difficult to select two each week. During its primetime run, Hogan’s Heroes was very popular with children and its slapstick routines brought laughter every time. This proved true also during our month-long series, as one devoted family showed up every week (despite baseball schedules!) for more laughs.
The television show and its comic treatment of the subject of captivity under the Nazis, was and is still highly contested. We heard polar opposite opinions on Hogan’s Heroes and its merit—from the child of a former POW who recalled watching his dad’s favorite show to the child of a former POW who recalled that his dad did not find the show the least bit funny. Regardless of one’s opinion on the show’s value, it is undeniable that the series brought the subject of Allied POW’s experiences in the hands of Germany back into the public eye.
During our Monday night series, we screened ten episodes of the classic series, spanning all of its six seasons. It was tough to pick a favorite. The episodes that we screened are below:
Week 1: “The Informer” and “Hold that Tiger”
Week 2: “Tanks for the Memory” and “Happiness is a Warm Sergeant”
Week 3: Colonel Klink’s Secret Weapon” and “Sergeant Schultz meets Mata Hari”
Week 4: “War Takes a Holiday” and “Monkey Business”
Week 5: “The Pizza Parlor” and “Get Fit or Fight”
We hope to continue this series, weather-permitting outdoors, in the fall. Stay tuned for more from Stalag 13. We have 155 more episodes to choose from.
What are some of your favorite episodes? What episodes would you like to see on the big screen?
Post by Curator Kimberly Guise and Education Coordinator Lauren Handley.
NFL Teams Take Drastic Measures Due to Manpower Shortage
As World War II siphoned the ranks of the NFL, a severe manpower shortage emerged. In 1943, the shortage was so severe the league changed its rules to allow for free substitution. The player shortage forced the Cleveland Rams to suspend play for the 1943 season, while the Pittsburg Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles agreed to merge. In 1944, the Steelers merged with the Chicago Cardinals.
Program for the October 9, 1943 game between the Eagles-Steelers and the Giants in Philadelphia, PA.
Seventy years ago today, on 6 March 1943, Norman Rockwell’s painting Freedom from Want appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. The third in his series on The Four Freedoms featured a family sitting down to a plentiful Thanksgiving meal. It would become one of Rockwell’s most popular images.
Rockwell’s Freedom from Want as seen in the Museum’s exhibition presented from September-November 2011, Roosevelt, Rockwell and the Four Freedoms: America’s Slow March from Isolation to Action.
Fritz Pollard, an All-America halfback with Brown University, led his team to the Rose Bowl following the 1915 season. Pollard went on to play in the NFL (one of 2 African American players in the league when it was founded in 1920) and become pro football's first African American head coach.
Although the end of WWII brought a new sense of social consciousness, segregation and discrimination remained in much of the United States. However, employment opportunities did begin to open up for African American in some sectors. Sports was a visible example. In 1946, pro football reintegrated, ending its 12-year “color barrier.”
Marion Motley and Bill Willis celebrate after helping the Cleveland Browns win the 1946 All-American Football Conference Championship.
Two African Americans, Frederick “Fritz” Pollard and Robert “Rube” Marshall, played in the NFL when the league was founded in 1920. During the next 14 seasons, only 13 African Americans total would appear on league rosters.
In 1946, the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and the Cleveland Browns of the rival All-America Football Conference each signed two black players. The Rams signed former UCLA halfback, Kenny Washington and end, Woody Strode. The Browns signed Nevada fullback, Marion Motley and Ohio State middle guard, Bill Willis. Washington and Strode played semipro football prior to signing with the Rams and age and injury limited their NFL careers. Motley and Willis went on to become superstars and were eventually elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Currently on display at The National WWII Museum, Donovan’s Number 70 Colts jersey and Marine Corps jacket honor the life of one of the oldest living professional football players.
In 1943, Hall of Fame defensive tackle, Art Donovan, put his college and pro football careers on hold to serve in World War II. Enrolled in Notre Dame, Donovan postponed college, opting instead to enlist in the US Marine Corps. He was later assigned as part of Marine naval detachment to a gunnery crew on the aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto, and first saw action during the Marianas Islands campaign. Following service on the San Jacinto, Donovan volunteered to serve as a machine gunner and saw action on Okinawa, After Okinawa, he was reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division on Guam.
After the war, Donovan attended his final three years at Boston College, starting as a two-way tackle the entire time. He was a 26-year old rookie when he joined the Baltimore Colts in 1950. The Colts folded after one season, and Art moved to the New York Yanks in 1951, then played for the Dallas Texans in 1952.
In 1953, the well-traveled Donovan returned to Baltimore to play for the new Colts franchise and, as the Colts developed into a championship team, Donovan developed into one of the best defensive tackles in league history.
The 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive tackle was smart and quick, able both to rush the passer and to move laterally to stop running plays. Donovan was also one of the most popular players in the league. He was an All-NFL selection in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, and 1958. In addition, he played in five straight Pro Bowls.
The Baltimore Colts’ great title teams of 1958 and 1959 featured a terrific defensive line, with future Hall of Fame defensive end Gino Marchetti, Don Joyce, “Big Daddy” Lipscomb, and Donovan, who by then had become the complete player. He was equally adept at rushing the passer, reading keys, closing off the middle, and splitting double team blocks. He had the reputation of being almost impossible to trap.
As great of a contributor as he was on the field, many feel he was just as valuable to the Colts as a morale builder, with his sharp wit and contagious laughter. The Colts retired his jersey, Number 70, in 1962 when he left professional football after 12 seasons in the NFL. In 1962, he also became the first Colts player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On set of a video piece for the 2011 Super Bowl, Donovan was flanked by active-duty Marines. After spending most of the shoot making his uniformed co-stars laugh in a serious moment he told the Marines, ‘‘People think the [NFL] players and owners making all that money are heroes. You are my heroes — thank you.”
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Cline in front of the violin made by his grandfather in Stalag Luft I.
Mr. & Mrs. Jimmie Kanaya.
Mr. Irwin Stovroff and his friend, Cash.
Memorial brick for Calvin Keep Benedict, sponsored by his family.
Kim Guise & Mr. Jim Baynham.
Mr. Jim Baynham & family.
The month of January was quite exciting in our special exhibit, Guests of the Third Reich: American POWs in Europe on display through July 7, 2013. We had visits from several former POWs—some featured in the exhibit—and their families. Jimmie Kanaya and James Baynham, represented in the gallery’s audio piece, visited with their families. The families of Calvin Keep Benedict and Luke McLaurine also visited and toured the exhibit. Stalag Luft I violin maker Clair Cline’s grandson, Dan visited with his wife, Jessica. Irwin Stovroff was held in Stalag Luft I and remembers Clair Cline crafting his violin. Stovroff is the founder and president of Vets Helping Heroes, an organization that helps provide veterans with dogs trained as companions and assistance dogs. He attended the Grand Opening of the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center with Cash, the mascot of his organization. We’re very grateful for the visits of these special guests. We hope to welcome more to be honored and share their stories this upcoming Memorial Day, May 27th, when we host the program “From Their Fathers”.
World War II claimed the lives of 23 NFL men – 21 active or former players, an ex-head coach and a team executive. Listed below are the NFL personnel killed during the war.
Cpl. Mike Basca (HB, Philadelphia, 1941) – Killed in France 1944
Lt. Charlie Behan (E, Detroit, 1942) – Killed on Okinawa, 1945
Maj. Keith Birlem (E, Cardinals-Washington, 1939) – Killed trying to land a combat-damaged bomber in England, 1943
Lt. Al Blozis (T, Giants, 1942-1944) – Killed in France
Lt. Chuck Braidwood (e, Portsmouth-Cleveland-Cardinals-Cinncinati, 1930-1933) – Member of the Red Cross. Killed in the South Pacific, 1944
Lt. Young Bussey (QB, Bears, 1940-1941) – Killed in the Philippines landing assault, 1944
Lt. Jack Chevigney (Coach, Cardinals, 1932) – Killed on Iwo Jima, 1945
Capt. Ed Doyle (E, Frankford-Pottsville, 1924-1925) – Killed during North Africa invasion, 1942
Lt. Col. Grasst Hinton (B, Staten Island, 1932) – Killed in a plane crash in the East Indies, 1944
Capt. Smiley Johnson (G, Green Bay, 1940-1941) – Killed on Iwo Jima, 1945
Lt. Eddie Kahn (G, Boston/Washington, 1935-1937) – Died from wounds suffered during Leyte invasion, 1945
Sgt Alex Ketzko (T, Detroit, 1943) – Killed in France, 1944
Capt. Lee Kizzire (FB, Detroit, 1937) – Shot down near New Guinea, 1943
Lt. Jack Lummus (E, Giants, 1941) – Killed on Iwo Jima, 1945
Bob Mackert (T, Rochester Jeffersons, 1925)
Frank Maher (B, Pittsburgh-Cleveland Rams, 1941)
Pvt. Jim Mooney (E-G-FB, Newark-Brooklyn-Cincinnati-St. Louis-Cardinals, 1930-1937) – Killed by sniper in France, 1944
Lt. John O’Keefe (Front office, Philadelphia) – Killed flying a patrol mission in Panama Canal Zone
Chief Spec. Gus Sonnenberg (B, Buffalo-Columbus-Detroit-Providence, 1923-1928, 1930) – Died of war-related illness at Bethesda Naval Hospital, 1944
Lt. Len Supulski (E, Philadelphia, 1942) – Killed in plane crash in Nebraska, 1944
Lt. Don Wemple (E, Brooklyn, 1941) – Killed in a plane crash in India, 1944
Lt. Chet Wetterlund (HB, Cardinals-Detroit, 1942) – Killed in plane crash off New Jersey coast, 1944
Capt. Waddy Young (E, Brooklyn, 1939-1940) – Killed in a plane crash following first B-29 raid on Tokyo, 1945
All information courtesy of the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.
On display through May 5, Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame presents a panoramic view of the story of professional football — from its humble beginnings in the late 19th century to the cultural phenomenon it is today — and brings together an extraordinary collection of artifacts, while creating an unforgettable interactive experience. The Hall of Fame has partnered with NFL Films in creating the audio and video for this exhibit.
The exhibition — a cornerstone event in the multi-year celebration of the Hall of Fame’s 50th anniversary — is the most extensive and comprehensive exhibition featuring America’s most popular sport ever to tour.
In addition to an exclusive display of WWII-era NFL artifacts, this exhibition of Gridiron Glory also includes historic items related to the New Orleans Saints.
Special Exhibit – Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race
On Display July 25, 2012 – October 15, 2012
From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany carried out a campaign to “cleanse” German society of people viewed as biological threats to the nation’s “health.” Enlisting the help of physicians and medically trained geneticists, psychiatrists and anthropologists, the Nazis developed racial health policies that started with the mass sterilization of “hereditarily diseased” persons and ended with the near annihilation of European Jewry. Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race traces this history from the early 20th-century international eugenics movement to the Nazi regime’s “science of race.” It also challenges viewers to reflect on the present-day interest in genetic manipulation that promotes the possibility of human perfection.
This exhibition was produced by The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and sponsored locally by the Tulane School of Medicine.
Schedule of Events
All events are free and open to the public.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
5:00 pm reception/6:00 pm presentation
The National WWII Museum – Louisiana Memorial Pavilion Public Opening Reception & Meet the Curator: Dr Susan Bachrach
Join the curator of Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race, Susan Bachrach from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, as she discusses the creation of this thought-provoking exhibition and the inspiration behind it. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229. Register for this event.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
The National WWII Museum – Stage Door Canteen Book Discussion – Sophie’s Choice
The plot ultimately centers around a tragic decision which Sophie was forced to make upon entering the concentration camp. Join us for a discussion on this moving book. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The National WWII Museum – Stage Door Canteen Film Screening – Sophie’s Choice
This film tells the story of a Polish immigrant, Sophie, and her tempestuous lover who share a boarding house with a young writer in Brooklyn. The film stars Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The National WWII Museum – The Joe W. and D.D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery Educator Open House
Area teachers are invited to view the special exhibition. Educational materials relating to the exhibit will be available and museum education staff will be on hand to answer questions. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229. Pre-registration is requested.
Monday, August 27, 2012
5:00 pm
Tulane School of Medicine – Auditorium, 1430 Tulane Avenue Justifying the Unthinkable: The ‘Ethics’ of Nazi Medical Experimentation by Arthur Caplan
The field of bioethics has either remained silent in the face of Nazi crimes or accepted the myths that Nazi biomedicine was inept, mad, or coerced. The fact is that many of those who committed the crimes of the Holocaust were competent physicians and scientists who acted from strong moral convictions. The puzzle of how it came to be that physicians and scientists who caused so much suffering and death did so in the belief that they were morally right is the focus of this presentation. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229. Register for this event.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
5:00 pm reception/6:00 pm presentation/7:00 pm book signing
The National WWII Museum – Louisiana Memorial Pavilion Ethics in Medicine and Research: Lessons from Dr. Mengele’s Lab by Eva Kor
Meet this survivor of Nazi medical experiments and hear her remarkable story. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229. Register for this event.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
6:30 pm
Tulane Uptown Campus – Dixon Hall The Ethics of Using Medical Data from Nazi Experiments by Baruch Cohen
Following World War II, leading Nazi doctors were brought to justice at Nuremberg after revealing evidence of sadistic human experiments at concentration camps. Since the Nuremberg trials, our society has had to confront the reality that the Nazi doctors were guilty of premeditated murder masqueraded as research. But what about the continued use of the Nazi doctors’ medical research? Is it ever appropriate to use data as morally repugnant as that which was extracted from victims of Nazism? Is so, under what circumstances? Civil Trial Attorney Baruch Cohen presents from a Jewish ethical perspective. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Thursday, September 20, 2012 7:00 pm Newcomb College – Woldenberg Art Center, Freeman Auditorium Lecture – “The Thief of the Future: The Holocaust – Women, Reproductive Science, Eugenics and the State” by Laurie Zoloth, Ph.D. It was not only the lives of Jewish women that were the target of Nazi genocide, it was the very thought of a Jewish future, carried in the bodies of Jewish women. Throughout the campaign of extermination, a second campaign was conducted to prevent reproduction; women bore the brunt of this campaign. The Nazi “experiments” carried out in the name of reproductive science were done by the most prestigious physicians in Germany, as a part of a larger vision of a future in which eugenics shaped the human future. Thus began an era in which the control of the human future was the most critical battleground of all. The 2012 Daspit Women in Science Lecture is presented by Professor Laurie Zoloth, Director of The Brady Program in Ethics and Public Life at Northwestern University. For more information, call 504-865-5422 or email cheaney@tulane.edu.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
The National WWII Museum – Orientation Center Lagniappe Lecture – Unit 731 by Walt Burgoyne
In August of 1945, the Soviet Union invaded Japanese Manchukuo. At Japanese compound Unit 731, thousands of rats were released from their cages. They carried millions of bubonic plague-infested fleas to the nearby cities of Harbin and Pingfan. The humans intentionally exposed to plague in camp had already been slaughtered by the Japanese; and the compound burned, to erase damning evidence. Learn about little-known Unit 731, and the unbelievable atrocities committed there, from Education Programs Coordinator Walt Burgoyne. For more information, call 504-528-1944 x 229.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Panel Discussion – Deadly Medicine’s Influence on Contemporary Public Health Policy
The National WWII Museum – Stage Door Canteen
Looking at the era of “Deadly Medicine” from a public health perspective, what have we learned from it? How do modern medical leaders influence policy by learning from the past? Join local and state medical leaders as they discuss how current medical research has been influenced by the past. Panelists include Dr. Benjamin Sachs, Dean Tulane School of Medicine; Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Commissioner of Public Health, City of New Orleans; Dr. Bruce Greenstein, Secretary Department of Health and Hospitals, State of Louisiana; Dr. Laura Levy, Vice President for Research, Immunology and Microbiology, Tulane University; and Dr Samir El-Dahr, Vice President for Research, Pediatric Nephrology, Tulane University. Dr Guenter Bischof, Director Center Austria, University of New Orleans will introduce. Register for this event.
Note that some events will be held at off-site locations. Programs subject to change.
