An Amazing Visit to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans
My wife Kate and I took a wonderful road trip South this fall that included a memorable few days at the fabulous National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana! I can’t say enough about how high quality and special this place is – if you have the opportunity, by all means GO! The museum is filled with great interactive exhibits, personal stories, videos, recordings, documents, and a mixture of the home front and battlefront during the Second World War. It also tells the story of WWII from a military, social, economic, and political perspective.
One of our absolute highlights was meeting and talking with WWII Navy veteran Vincent Sottile (shown below with me), who celebrated his 99th birthday while we were there. Vincent served as an ensign on landing craft at the Leyte Gulf and Guam. He came home and became a gastroenterologist and worked at his profession until he was 96! (“I started to get a little tired,” he said, explaining why he decided to retire). It was an honor and a humbling experience to meet Vincent and take in this wonderful museum that pays tribute to the WWII generation. If you go, I’d suggest allowing 2-3 days to enjoy the experience fully!
