World War II (aka “The Big One”) is the most destructive event in human history (at least until World War III happens). It raged all over the globe and touched virtually every nation. The National World War II Museum in NOLA tells the story, in a series of exhibit halls spread out over four buildings.
Some photos from a visit.
For those who don't know, I live in a converted campervan and travel around the country, posting photo diaries of places that I visit. I am currently in New Orleans.
The museum
The buildings are connected by raised skywalks
Inside the museum
German 88mm flak/anti-tank gun
Me-109 German fighter
Higgins Boat landing craft
Pieces of wreckage from the battleships California and Arizona
Naval Intelligence report from Wake Island
At the outset of the war, the US lacked sufficient supplies: this is a toy rifle that was used for training new recruits
Japanese Army officer uniform
P-40 Warhawk
German STG-44 assault rifle—the best rifle of the war
Fairchild photo reconnaissance camera
American 105mm howitzer
Japanese 37mm anti-tank gun
Spitfire Mark V fighter
Nose of B-24 Liberator
B-17 control panel
Willys Jeep
SBD Dauntless dive bomber
F4U Corsair fighter/bomber
P-51 Mustang fighter
TBF Avenger torpedo bomber—here dropping an aerial bomb
Training model of Phoenix ships, which were filled with concrete and sunk to create artificial harbors at Normandy
C-47 transport
“Rupert”—fake parachutists dropped during D-Day to fool the Germans
Radio set dropped to Resistance movements in occupied Europe
Barrel containing heavy water from the Norwegian plant. The barge carrying it was sunk by the Resistance.
Melted bottles from Nagasaki