NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The National WWII Museum will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor with a full day of programming on December 7 in New Orleans and online. Programs will begin with an Electronic Field Trip aired free to students around the country and designed to educate participants on the events that led to the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into World War II. Additional programming will include a special commemoration ceremony, a panel discussion by Museum scholars from the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy and lectures by noted authors Rich Frank and Christopher Capozzola. Guests will also be able to tour the Museum’s newest special exhibit Infamy: Pearl Harbor Remembered examining how the event is remembered today.
Referred to as “a date which will live infamy” by President Franklin Roosevelt, the Pearl Harbor attacks on the US Pacific Fleet led to the United States’ Declaration of War on Japan and plunged the country into World War II. Killing more than 2,400 servicemembers, Japanese planes destroyed or damaged 19 US warships and 300 aircraft in less than 90 minutes. The event launched the battle cry “Remember Pearl Harbor,” setting the tone for American efforts in World War II.
Schedule of events and registration information for Pearl Harbor 80th Anniversary Programming, Tuesday, December 7:
9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. CST airings
Electronic Field Trip: The Path to Pearl Harbor
Virtual Only
Join The National WWII Museum with student reporters from Hawaii and New Orleans to learn more about why on December 7, 1941, the Japanese military launched a surprise attack on the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This attack is the event that brought America into World War II, and while Japan’s deadly assault on Pearl Harbor stunned Americans, its roots stretched back more than four decades. Designed for students in grades 6–12, the program will help participants understand the broader context of World War II and the history of the events leading up to the attack. During this Electronic Field Trip, student reporters will help answer the essential question of why the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led America into World War II.
10:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. CST
Knit Your Bit: Scarf Distribution to Veterans
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Museum staff will distribute free Knit Your Bit scarves to veterans of all eras. Learn more about the Museum’s Knit Your Bit program as it celebrates its 15th anniversary year.
11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m. CST
Pearl Harbor 80th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center and Livestreaming online
Each year, The National WWII Museum commemorates those who lost their lives on that fateful December day. During the Pearl Harbor 80th anniversary commemorative ceremony, pay tribute to those who lost their lives on December 7, 1941, through a moving program that reflects the enduring significance of this day.
2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. CST
Meet the Author: Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War July 1937-May 1942 with Rich Frank
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center and Livestreaming online
Join internally renowned expert and author Richard Frank as he discusses his book Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War July 1937-May 1942. Frank’s first book in his trilogy on the Pacific War, Tower of Skulls is an extraordinary WWII narrative that vividly portrays the battles across this entire region and links those struggles on many levels with their profound 21st-century legacies.
3:45 p.m.–5:00 p.m. CST
Pearl Harbor: The Aftermath; an Institute for the Study of War and Democracy Panel Discussion
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center and Livestreaming online
The Museum highlights its own talented scholars from the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy during a panel discussion on many of the critical effects that the attack on Pearl Harbor had on the world 80 years ago and the enduring legacy of December 7 to this day. Topics include A Truly Global War: Hitler, Mussolini and the Global Ramifications by Jason Dawsey, PhD; Awakening a Sleeping Giant: The US Military Regroups by Kali Martin; The Home Front: Are We All in This Together? by Stephanie Hinnershitz, PhD; and Remembering Pearl Harbor: The Continuing Mission of the DPAA on Oahu by Adam Givens, PhD.
5:00 p.m. Reception CST
6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. CST Lecture and Livestream
Meet the Author: Bound by War with Author Christopher Capozzola
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center and Livestreaming online
Join expert and author Christopher Capozzola for the concluding event of the Museum’s 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor programming, a discussion that covers a sweeping history of America’s long and fateful military relationship with the Philippines amid a century of Pacific warfare. Detailing his book Bound By War: How the United States and the Philippines Built America’s First Pacific Century, Capozzola reveals this forgotten history, showing how war and military service forged an enduring, yet fraught, alliance between Americans and Filipinos.
Where: The National WWII Museum
945 Magazine Street, New Orleans
Website: www.nationalww2museum.org
COVID-19 Event Protocols:
Per City of New Orleans requirements, proof of COVID-19 vaccination (at least one dose) or a negative COVID-19 PCR test (taken within 72 hours) is required for entry to all events (applicable to all guests 12 years of age and older) as well as the Museum’s food and beverage outlets (including American Sector Restaurant & Bar and Jeri Nims Soda Shop), BB’s Stage Door Canteen shows, private rentals and indoor public events. For more information, please visit https://www.nationalww2museum.org/know-before-you-go.
