Celebrate Veterans Day 2009 With Six Museums Honoring Veterans

Sherman Tank Veterans Day is coming up on November 11, so why not honor our veterans with an affordable trip that promotes education and understanding?

Jamie Bovshow uncovers six military museums across the USA where families can celebrate, remember and pay homage to our nation’s finest.

1. NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MUSEUM

Formerly known as the D-Day Museum, the National World War II Museum in New Orleans stands as our country’s tribute to the more than 1 million men and women who fought in Europe, Africa and the Pacific Islands during World War II.

Victory Theater experience The museum remembers D-Day and includes galleries, personal artifacts, photographs, stories, never-before-seen film footage, and other important WWII documents.

On November 7, the newly expanded museum celebrates the grand opening of three of its newest venues. The new Solomon Victory Theater showcases an exciting multi-sensory, 4-D film called Beyond all Boundaries, narrated by Tom Hanks and featuring a wraparound screen, multi-layered projection, and other special effects.

The new Stage Door Canteen is a home front-style canteen that takes away from the seriousness of the museum and includes dancing, music, and a new performance entitled “Let Freedom Swing!” Finally, the new American Sector Restaurant includes a brand new dining experience by Chef John Besh, who creates American staples with a modern twist.

For more recommendations, check out last year’s suggestions with Veterans Day 2008: Where, Why and How to Celebrate America’s Veterans.

WWII Museum exterior Start Veterans Day festivities early with New Orleans’ multi-day grand opening celebrations. Saturday, November 7 includes a Free for Family Fun Day and the Victory Stomp New Orleans-style block party at night. On Sunday, November 8, attend a guest lecture by scholar Alan Brinkley entitled “Visions of Peace in an Age of War.”

On November 11, Veterans Day traditional programs will include an invocation, speeches and music, as well as a presentation of a reproduction of the Liberty Bell, given to the museum by visiting French dignitaries.

504-528-1944, www.nationalww2museum.org

2. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE

Missile Gallery - National Museum of the US Air Force The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio is the world’s largest military aviation museum, with more 400 aerospace vehicles on display. Here you’ll find various galleries that boast exhibits from all generations of aviation history, including Early Years, Cold War, Presidential, Modern Flight, and Missile and Space Galleries.

Outside, the museum’s Memorial Park includes gardens and walkways that incorporate over 500 memorials, plaques, trees and benches that honor those who have served in the U.S. Air Force.

The museum’s more hair-raising attractions include an IMAX theater and a Morphis MovieRide flight simulator, where family members of all ages can climb into the cockpit and experience the thrill of flying.

Check out more museums in our Museum Travel section.

This year, the U.S. Air Force Band of Flight presents two “War in Remembrance” concerts on November 6 and 7 in honor of Veterans Day. The programs will feature a variety of compositions and symphonies representing wars from various time periods, as well as songs and stories from military staff and veterans.

937-255-3286, www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

3. BATTLESHIP COVE MUSEUM

Battleship Cove Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts is home to the world’s largest collection of historic naval ships. Battleship Cove isn’t just about passive exhibitions, but is a hands-on, floating playground of adventure and history. Here, kids and adults can spend the day exploring below the deck of some of the museum’s largest naval ships, including the Cold War destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. and the USS Lionfish submarine.

The museum’s most popular exhibit is the USS Massachusetts, an enormous WWII battleship that museum-goers can get lost in exploring for hours on end. The museum even offers overnight camping experiences for youth groups aboard the Massachusetts as a part of their “Nautical Nights” program.

Find more local travel adventures in our USA Travel section.

WWII memorial at Battleship Cove This Veterans Day, honor a loved one’s military service by flying an American flag on any naval vessel at Battleship Cove. After this special ceremony, the flag is yours to keep, along with a commemorative certificate with the honoree’s name and the ship it was sailed from. After participating in this memorable event, head to the USS Massachusetts to check out the Massachusetts’ official memorial to all Bay Staters killed in WWII.

508-678-1100, www.battleshipcove.org

4. NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM

The National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida is home to more than 150 beautifully restored aircraft, exceptional exhibits, and as many as 4,000 artifacts from Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviation history.

Naval Aviation Museum Children can experience the thrill of flying in the cockpit trainer exhibit, where they can climb inside the cockpit of a fighter jet, control the switches, and listen to radio transmissions from actual aviators. The museum also includes exciting multi-sensory experiences for all ages, including an IMAX theater, a motion-based flight simulator, and a Top Gun air combat simulator.

One of the most popular features in the museum is the Cubi Bar Café, a perfect replica of the legendary Officer’s Club in Cubi Point, Philippines that includes original military plaques and artwork.

This Veterans Day, you won’t want to miss the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels Squadron perform a free practice air show outside of the museum at 8:30 a.m. Afterwards, be sure to go inside the museum to meet the pilots at a special autograph session.

850-452-3604, www.navalaviationmuseum.org

Korean War veterans should check out Traveling to the Demilitarized Zone: Between North & South Korea.

5. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MARINE CORPS

The first thing you’ll notice at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia is the architecture, where a 210-foot tilted steel mast-and-glass atrium structure emulates the iconic image of the raising of the American flag over Iwo Jima during WWII.

In the Leatherneck Gallery, visitors can learn about the 225-year history of the Marines and explore the museum’s hanging aircraft, tanks, and other historic artifacts. At the museum’s first interactive exhibit, visitors can experience the intensity of boot camp, as well as test their aim with laser-designed rifles and targets.

Get more information in our Senior Travel section.

Celebrate both Veterans Day and the birthday of the Marine Corps on November 10 for a special cake-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Afterwards, tour the 3-acre Semper Fidelis Memorial Park, where monuments recognize those who served in the Marine Corps. Visitors can also donate a commemorative brick honoring service members and loved ones, which will be included along the beautiful interwoven pathways of the park.

877-635-1775, www.usmcmuseum.org

6. NATIONAL VIETNAM VETERANS ARTS MUSEUM

At the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, visitors can experience the healing ability of art with the museum’s growing collection of artwork created by veterans of the Vietnam War. It’s the world’s only museum with a permanent collection that focuses on war from an artistic perspective, which includes paintings, photography, sculpture, poetry, and music.

This Veterans Day, be sure to check out the museum’s highly praised exhibit entitled “Above and Beyond,” a stirring 10 x 40 foot sculpture comprised of over 58,000 dog tags of men and women who died in the Vietnam War.

312-326-0270, www.nvvam.org

By Jamie Bovshow for PeterGreenberg.com.