I recently had the privlege of attending an event sponsered by the Faternal Order of Police. Part of the event included a trip to the D-Day museum. I was very impr3essed with the displays and memribilia as well as the recorded personal accounts from veterans that a visitor can access for viewing. The museum is first rate and I highly recommend a visit.
Having said this, I now move to a grip. I anticipated while touring the exhibits to find a display, refrences to, or information about the Indy to be included. NOTHING!!!! No mention of the delivery of the bomb, sinking, the ordeal. NOTHING!!!!!!
This I found dismaying to say the least and quite insulting to those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice and to those you showed the strenght of will to survive.
This oversight or intentional exclusion was even more disturbing as a display, and information about the sinking and survivors ordeal was included from the Junea. Her sailors faced a similar ordeal of survival in the water for several days. An explaination for tis was included in the display stating that the Navy's air sea rescue was not very effective and it took a lengthy period of time for them to locate them in the water.
I also understand that serving on the Junea was the 5 Sulivan brothers, none of them were among the survivors. Most know their story as it has been in movies and they have had a Ship named for them. I do not begrudge them there fame nor the sailors who served with them their place of honor. I am however upset about the lack of inclusion of the story of the Indy, her crew, and her history and acomplishments.
I would like very much to hear your views on this matter and any suggestions to correct this injustice.
SurvivorsDaughter said
Aug 14, 2008
I thought the same thing about the D-Day Museum in New Orleans with regards to the USS indianapolis. Although the museum is first rate and one of the best I've ever seen, the Indy was definitely a missing link.
When I lived down there, I had made several comments about this to the management, but with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, I never did get a chance to follow up on it. I was told that with the addition of the Pacific Wing, the Indy would be included, but I have relocated out of state and have not been there lately... However, now that they are re-opened since the Hurricane and get MANY visitors on a daily basis, this is a very important place for our story to be displayed and shared.
It seems to me that the D-Day Museum included alot of events related to donations of memorabilia that were made. With the Indy, there were no donations of memorabilia, so nothing to base an exhibit on.
Perhaps if the USS Indianapolis Museum in Indianapolis has any memorabilia that they don't have room to display once they sort everything out that they were given, they would consider donating it to the National World War II Museum.
Perhaps if we all band together and ask the National D-Day Museum to include the USS Indianapolis, we can see that happen sometime in the future.
The contact information for them is below: Write, call, email, fax etc and tell them the importance of including this vital part of WW2 History in the National Museum. In order to increase their awareness, make sure you send them some of the details of the story.
The National World War II Museum 945 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70130
That may be a solution or partial solution. I would encourage any of the Indy vets to visit the museum. They have set up a booth where the vets can go in and record their own personnel account of their experiences. It will record a visual/audio tape which the museum places in viewing booths through out the museum. I am proud to say that these booths are all packed with visitors watching and listening to these accounts.
The Paciffic wing is up and running and the Indy is unfortunately conspicuous but it's absence. I will be contactacing the museum to retify this as well as discussing this with several friends who volenteer regularly at the museum.
Thanks
SurvivorsDaughter said
Aug 14, 2008
On one of my visits there, my fahter, who is a survivor, was attending a lecture specifically about the USS Indianapolis. After the lecture, I specifically spoike to the museum curator and asked about this. I was told that there was a video history on one of the screens, but I never could find it.
A friend of my father's is also trying to locate a video that was done when my father did a lecture at University of New Orleans Eisenhower Center about his ordeal - it would be ideal at the museum. However, it has been hard to locate because of all the losses of files there near the Lakefront from Hurricane Katrina, and I know that the Eisenhower Center historians work very closely with the Nat'l D-Day Museum. Perhaps if enough people pursue this on individual fronts, we can get their attention.
PLEASE see the above post and take just a couple minutes to make a quick phone call to express your interest in seeing the Story of the USS Indianapolis highlighted at the museum! I can continue pursuing this on my end, but if I am only one voice (as it was in the past when I tried), its hard to get their attention!
OsceolaS175 said
Aug 14, 2008
Will do. that will make it 2 and maybe we can get more. Thanks
SurvivorsDaughter said
Aug 15, 2008
Thanks so much for getting things rolling with this Osceola! I hope we get a good bit of interest in this and something is done!
Tom C said
Aug 19, 2008
Thank you for contacting The National WWII Museum and remembering the brave men of the USS Indianapolis. The National WWII Museum would like to apologize for any misunderstanding concerning the Museums presentation of the USS Indianapolis story. Originally founded as The National D-Day Museum the Museums exhibits were designed to tell the story of amphibious landings in WWII. Although the Museum is now designated by Congress as The National WWII Museum and is devoted to honoring all Americans who contributed to WWII the exhibits to accomplish this are still being designed and constructed. When complete the Museum will include the story of every American vessel that served in WWII including the USS Indianapolis. Until then the Museum will add the story of the USS Indianapolis to the existing atomic bomb time line to insure that all of our visitors are made aware of their story of courage and sacrifice. In order to meet our goal of honoring and remembering all American who served in WWII and the men of the USS Indianapolis in particular The National WWII Museum needs your help. If you have artifacts related to the USS Indianapolis particularly items related to the sinking and rescue that you would like to donate please contact Stacy Peckham at stacy.peckham@nationalww2museum.org; if you are a survivor of the USS Indianapolis and would like to tell your story please contact Tommy Lofton at thomas.lofton@nationalww2museum.org ; if you would like to make a monetary donation to support the expansion of the Museum please contact Craig Bardell at craig.bardell@nationalww2museum.org . Again thank you for your interest and concern; please be assured that The National WWII Museum has not forgotten the men of the USS Indianapolis or the other Americans who served in the cause of freedom and democracy.
OsceolaS175 said
Aug 19, 2008
Thanks Tom your promt attention is greatly appreciated. I will begin my search now for any artifacts, memorabilia, etc. that can be donated. Do also accept items on loan, as some of the may be very precious to the familys and their only link to the lost loved one?
SurvivorsDaughter said
Aug 19, 2008
Tom, Thank you so much for your attention to this!!! It really means the world to these men to know that their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their shipmates that were less fortunate, have not gone unnoticed by the National Museum.
I have forwarded your message on to as many survivors, rescue crew, family and friends that I could possible think of! I am hoping that you will get a good response from them, and hope that you will contact us if there is any way we can assist you further.
When I lived down there, I had made several comments about this to the management, but with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, I never did get a chance to follow up on it. I was told that with the addition of the Pacific Wing, the Indy would be included, but I have relocated out of state and have not been there lately... However, now that they are re-opened since the Hurricane and get MANY visitors on a daily basis, this is a very important place for our story to be displayed and shared.
It seems to me that the D-Day Museum included alot of events related to donations of memorabilia that were made. With the Indy, there were no donations of memorabilia, so nothing to base an exhibit on.
Perhaps if the USS Indianapolis Museum in Indianapolis has any memorabilia that they don't have room to display once they sort everything out that they were given, they would consider donating it to the National World War II Museum.
Perhaps if we all band together and ask the National D-Day Museum to include the USS Indianapolis, we can see that happen sometime in the future.
The contact information for them is below: Write, call, email, fax etc and tell them the importance of including this vital part of WW2 History in the National Museum. In order to increase their awareness, make sure you send them some of the details of the story.
945 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
On one of my visits there, my fahter, who is a survivor, was attending a lecture specifically about the USS Indianapolis. After the lecture, I specifically spoike to the museum curator and asked about this. I was told that there was a video history on one of the screens, but I never could find it.
A friend of my father's is also trying to locate a video that was done when my father did a lecture at University of New Orleans Eisenhower Center about his ordeal - it would be ideal at the museum. However, it has been hard to locate because of all the losses of files there near the Lakefront from Hurricane Katrina, and I know that the Eisenhower Center historians work very closely with the Nat'l D-Day Museum. Perhaps if enough people pursue this on individual fronts, we can get their attention.
PLEASE see the above post and take just a couple minutes to make a quick phone call to express your interest in seeing the Story of the USS Indianapolis highlighted at the museum! I can continue pursuing this on my end, but if I am only one voice (as it was in the past when I tried), its hard to get their attention!
Thank you for contacting The National WWII Museum and remembering the brave men of the USS Indianapolis. The National WWII Museum would like to apologize for any misunderstanding concerning the Museums presentation of the USS Indianapolis story. Originally founded as The National D-Day Museum the Museums exhibits were designed to tell the story of amphibious landings in WWII. Although the Museum is now designated by Congress as The National WWII Museum and is devoted to honoring all Americans who contributed to WWII the exhibits to accomplish this are still being designed and constructed. When complete the Museum will include the story of every American vessel that served in WWII including the USS Indianapolis. Until then the Museum will add the story of the USS Indianapolis to the existing atomic bomb time line to insure that all of our visitors are made aware of their story of courage and sacrifice. In order to meet our goal of honoring and remembering all American who served in WWII and the men of the USS Indianapolis in particular The National WWII Museum needs your help. If you have artifacts related to the USS Indianapolis particularly items related to the sinking and rescue that you would like to donate please contact Stacy Peckham at stacy.peckham@nationalww2museum.org; if you are a survivor of the USS Indianapolis and would like to tell your story please contact Tommy Lofton at thomas.lofton@nationalww2museum.org ; if you would like to make a monetary donation to support the expansion of the Museum please contact Craig Bardell at craig.bardell@nationalww2museum.org . Again thank you for your interest and concern; please be assured that The National WWII Museum has not forgotten the men of the USS Indianapolis or the other Americans who served in the cause of freedom and democracy.
Thank you so much for your attention to this!!! It really means the world to these men to know that their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their shipmates that were less fortunate, have not gone unnoticed by the National Museum.
I have forwarded your message on to as many survivors, rescue crew, family and friends that I could possible think of! I am hoping that you will get a good response from them, and hope that you will contact us if there is any way we can assist you further.