SOARING VALOR

The men and women who witnessed World War II firsthand and fought to secure the freedom of so many are leaving us at a rapid rate. In partnership with The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, the Gary Sinise Foundation is working not only to preserve their stories for generations to come at America’s WWII Museum, but also to bring those remaining veterans to visit the Museum that honors their service.

VISITING THEIR MUSEUM

In June 2015, the Gary Sinise Foundation, with support from American Airlines, will generously bring a group of 55 WWII veterans and their caregivers to visit The National WWII Museum. Veterans will be treated to a hero’s welcome everywhere they go, a performance by the Museum’s Victory Belles, and tours of the exhibits that honor their service in the war. Veterans will also enjoy a showing of Beyond All Boundaries, the exclusive 4D experience produced and narrated by Tom Hanks.

See our Frequently Asked Questions about Soaring Valor.

PRESERVING THEIR STORIES

The personal experience of the citizen soldier is the foundation upon which our Museum was established. Our oral history collection offers access to thousands of first-person narratives from men and women who lived through World War II—giving Museum visitors a uniquely personal connection to the war years and positioning the Museum as an important repository of these remarkable stories. We have added a full-time oral historian, sponsored by the Gary Sinise Foundation, to our team to help us in our efforts.

Oral history applications should be submitted to seth.paridon@nationalww2museum.org. Please include as much information as you can about the veteran and their service:

• Veteran’s full name

• Address

• Phone Number

• Date they entered the service

• Branch of Service

• Unit (as specific as possible)

• Job/MOS

• Dates of overseas service

• Was he/she wounded (if yes, please provide details as to how, when, and where)

• Campaigns/Battles participated in

• Date of discharge

• Rank at time of discharge

• Any additional information

The Museum maintains a lengthy list of oral history candidates. Submitting an application does not guarantee that an oral historian will be able to collect a personal account.

Visit ww2online.org to browse a selection of the Museum’s oral history collection, as well as images from the WWII era.