MARINE FORCES RESERVE, New Orleans -- Marines from Headquarters, Marines Forces Reserve, participated with U.S. Navy sailors and other service members in a dedication ceremony for the new wing of the National World War II Museum here Nov. 6.
The museum was completed in June 2000. The new wing features the Solomon Victory Theater, the Stage Door Canteen and The American Sector Restaurant, which serves a cuisine in a setting that harkens back to the 1940’s.
The theater boasts a revolutionary “4-D cinematic experience,” where elements of the show literally rise up out of the floor and lower down from the ceiling.
“This is a great day for the state of Louisiana and a great day for the nation,” said Dr. Gordon Mueller, a chairman on the board of trustees for the opening. “When we opened in 2000, there were six million veterans…now we’re down to two million. This museum describes and portrays the American journey through World War II. If we provide people the opportunity to learn and experience the war through these exhibits, we will be a better nation as a result.”
Along with U.S. Army soldiers, coastguardsmen and a large group of sailors based in the Greater New Orleans Area, a group of enlisted Marine volunteers based at the Naval Support Activity here served as escorts for the hundreds of World War II veterans who came here from their homes throughout the nation for this event.
“It’s a little late in coming,” said W.F. “Bill” Wellman of the museum’s opening in June 2000 and the new expansion. “Unfortunately, a lot of guys never got the chance to see it,” lamented Wellman, 85, referring to his World War II Marine comrades who have passed away in recent years.
“It (the museum) teaches a lot to the younger generation. This is a war that shouldn’t be forgotten,” said Wellman, who served as a communications specialist with the 16th Anti-Aircraft Battalion, 1st Marine Division on the Pacific islands of Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa between 1942-1945.
The best day of Wellman’s Marine Corps career, he said, was when his ship sailed under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in June 1945, and the U.S. Navy Band played on the bridge to welcome the Marines home.
Wellman was able to witness the Marine Forces Reserve Band perform some 64 years later at the Nov. 6 ceremony.
Under the leadership of conductor Staff Sgt. Seth Gehman, 30 Marine musicians from the MFR Band played an outdoor concert prior to the dedication ceremony.
“It was great being part of something so big, to see all the local military from all armed forces coming together to honor the service of WWII veterans,” said Gehman, 29, of Denver, Pa.
“I think the Marines realized early on that they were going to be part of something important,” added Gehman.
The band performed a 30-minute concert of patriotic selections, many circa World War II, before an audience of more than 1,000 city and state officials, celebrities, active duty service members and veterans and their families.
John William Sweren traveled from his home in Mesa, Ariz., for the event. “I feel great,” said Sweren, who recently turned 86 and claims he is still “feeling agile.”
“This is a great tribute to those who served, and to their families,” explained Sweren. “I kept it all inside until about five years ago. This is wonderful…. I’m happy that my family could come here with me.”
A tail gunner on a B-26 Marauder which bore the moniker “Hitch Hiker,” Sweren was shot down over German-occupied France two days before Christmas in 1944. Several of his fellow crewmembers did not survive the crash.
Sweren was captured and spent more than two years in a German prison camp, eventually earning two purple hearts. Like so many other veterans, he returned home after the war and went to college on the new GI Bill.
“Remember you have a job to do for yourself and the people of America,” Sweren said, speaking to the young people serving in the U.S. military today. “Get the best education possible, and take advantage of all the opportunities.”
The young active duty Marine escorts had the rare opportunity to get to know the veterans and listen to their stories while at the museum.
“The experience was amazing,” said Marine Cpl. Corina Quesada, 21, of Corona, Calif., who escorted Nora Wimbish throughout the day. Ms. Wimbish was also a Marine corporal and teletype operator during World War II.
“Looking into her eyes while she shared her stories of our country’s history will be something I will never forget,” explained Quesada. “Words can not explain the experience. I am honored to have been able to escort my fellow Marine…the stories they share can relate to us today in many different ways.
“She shared with me that she likes our rank insignia the way it is now, continued Quesada. “Before we had no cross rifles in the center. She said for the most part the uniforms (service “A”) are still the same. As we were waiting to be seated outside, she said, ‘The Marine Corps hasn't changed… hurry up and wait!’ Its funny how something like that will always be remembered by a Marine. She even helps maintain our Molly Marine statue in the city.”
Quesada emphasized the significance of the World War II Museum being located in New Orleans.
“The Higgins boat was designed and built here,” explained Quesada. “These are the boats that we transported our Marines and our weapons with.”
An actual Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel, or “Higgins Boat,” is on display in the main chamber of the museum, where guests can feel and examine the workhorse of the D-Day invasion.
“I feel a connection to this museum through our fellow Marines,” said Quesada. “I may have not been part of World War II, but our family was. We, as Marines today, continue to carry our legacy and values. As they (veterans) are part of history, we will also be tomorrow.”
Other ceremony attendees supported the war effort on assembly lines, such as Mary Belden, 86, who labored as a riveter in an aircraft factory in Racine, Wis., from 1942-1945 while her husband fought with the U.S. 7th Army in France and Germany.
“It (the National World War II Museum) is a marvelous place to go to,” said Belden. “It represents not only material things, but the spirit of the people who fought in the war and also those who served on the home front. It’s essential to have something like this so people can understand the kind of sacrifices made during the war.”
Belden was in attendance with her son, U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Beldon, who retired from the U.S. Navy in 1997 after a 30-year career as a pilot. Her grandson is now flying C-130 Hercules aircraft in the U.S. Air Force.
In spite of the family’s rich military history, it was the first time either Mrs. Beldon or her son had seen the museum.
“As an Iraq War veteran, I of course feel a connection to the museum,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Mingin, an active duty Marine who escorted World War II veteran Leonard Klock.
“A war is a war is a war,” stated Mingin. “It was a very humbling experience. The stories were both happy and sad. He (Klock) told me stories of what ‘liberty’ was like at the USO canteen shows. He described the ugly faces of war and the sight of seeing close friends die at the hands of the enemy.”
Klock, who served in the Marine Corps as an infantryman and parachutist from 1941-1945, saw action on Pacific islands such as Bougainville, Guadalcanal, Vella Lavella, and Iwo Jima.
“What you can get from this museum is a tactile representation of the war,” said actor Tom Hanks, who participated in the ceremony and stayed afterwards to serve food to the troops at the reception. “At the end of the day, a good museum will make you feel differently about what you’ve seen. It will hit you in purely human terms.”
Museum entry is free for all active duty service members in uniform. For more information about the museum or to schedule a guided tour for professional military education classes, visit their website at http://www.nationalww2museum.org.