My visit to The National World War II Museum in New Orleans
Posted by Gene Austin at Mar 21, 2008 09:30 PM CDT
Categories: Nonprofit Trends

I too am at the NTEN conference this week and yesterday Fred Waugh and I slipped away to go visit a new client of Convio’s, The National World War II Museum. Frankly, I was blown away at both what they have amassed (a C-47 hanging from the ceiling in the main entrance as one example) and their vision for the future. Stephen Watson, COO, and Paul Parrie, Director of IT,  hosted us and gave me some insight into their vision of the future. While there certainly are statistics, tanks, weapons, and jeeps galore, the main theme of the museum is to remember what arguably was the most important event in the last several hundred years.

The youngest vet from WWII is now 81 and many of them are at the museum for first hand accounts of their missions and memories. The team at the museum is dedicated to making sure that we never lose sight of why WWII needed to take place and how a country that was fresh off of a recession had to amass the spirit and commitment to take on such a daunting task. This was a war that involved little debate, but nevertheless it was one that taxed our country beyond belief. What is particularly exciting about their vision is how focused they are on the generations behind us Boomers. They really want young people (all of you non-boomers!) to understand the commitment, leadership and sacrifice a country made in a truly world struggle.

The Museum is in the midst of a $300M capital campaign to expand their footprint in the Museum district in New Orleans. They are building a theatre where a 25 minute movie (executive producer Tom Hanks) will depict key events of the time complete with a Stalag tower and dropping temperatures and snow for the Battle of the Bulge. Since Katrina, their visits are down 40% but beginning to re-build. Needless to say,they could use our support and it is worth every penny. 

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