NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The National WWII Museum will mark the anniversaries of D-Day and the opening of the museum on Tuesday, June 6, at 11:00 a.m. during the 2023 Dr. Hal Baumgarten D-Day Commemoration. The public ceremony celebrates the museum’s 23rd birthday while remembering the men who landed 79 years ago on the beaches in Normandy.
Stephen J. Watson, museum president & CEO, will also make a special announcement on the upcoming Liberation Pavilion and the dedication of the Col. Battle Barksdale Parade Ground. Liberation Pavilion will help fulfill a key part of the museum’s mission—what World War II means today—by exploring the end of the war, the Holocaust, the immediate postwar years and the war’s continuing impact on our own lives.
Prior to the ceremony, the celebrated St. Augustine Marching 100 will perform at 10:15 a.m. The museum is partnering with the band as they prepare to perform in Normandy as part of the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in June 2024.
The museum’s annual commemoration is named in honor of the late Private Harold “Hal” Baumgarten, who landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, and was wounded five times in just 32 hours of fighting. The Dr. Hal Baumgarten D-Day Commemoration Endowment, made possible by the generous gift of Karen and Leopold Sher, ensures that Dr. Baumgarten’s legacy will live on in perpetuity and helps the museum fulfill its mission to educate future generations about the events of World War II and its lasting impacts.
Special speaker will be Medal of Honor Recipient David Bellavia. Staff Sergeant Bellavia distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad leader in support of Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, Iraq. Especially meaningful is that his grandfather served in World War II and was part of the D-Day invasion.
Current servicemembers and their families can enjoy free admission to the museum thanks to the Blue Star Museums program, which kicked off on Armed Forces Day and continues through Labor Day.
Later on June 6, the museum and WYES will host a reception and presentation of Founded on Friendship & Freedom: The National WWII Museum, a new documentary telling the story of how two University of New Orleans historians — Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, PhD, and Stephen Ambrose, PhD — sought to salute the spirit of Americans who fought to preserve our freedom. This event will take place at 5:00 p.m. at the Solomon Victory Theater.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 6, 2023
- 10:15 a.m.: Performance by St. Augustine Marching 100
- 11:00 a.m.: Dr. Hal Baumgarten D-Day Commemoration
- 5:00 p.m.: Museum and WYES reception and presentation of Founded on Friendship & Freedom: The National WWII Museum
WHERE: The National WWII Museum
US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
