Veterans who served then and those serving now from each branch of service proudly entered as honored guests. It was a celebration of the expansion of the World War II museum, but none lost the real reason to celebrate. Museum director Dr Nick Mueller said, "We are experiencing something even more. We realize that we are experiencing the victory."
The victory of a generation who humbly served, even if they didn't like it. Tom Hanks joked, "My dad not surprisingly hated every minute he was in the Navy." Hanks, who produced the film featured in the museum, feels his dad typifies a generation. He added, "My dad like millions of others knew there was a war going on, knew that they were all in this together, knew that if he didn't do his part, who would?"
There is a pride in having served, even if thanks didn't come until later. Tuskegee airman Mervin Harmon said, "We fought at Tuskegee to defend the country, fully recognizing that we were not treated as first class citizens at the time."
Lt Governor Mitch Landrieu added, "Freedom is not free... not in peacetime and not in war... not at home nor on a distant shore... she calls us to service and sacrifice." That is the reason the museum stands, for those who served and saved the world in doing so.
