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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 16 October 2008 20:42 |
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The National WWII Museum in New Orleans just celebrated a milestone in the construction of its new Victory Theater and Stage Door Canteen complex with a topping out ceremony. World War II veterans were invited to sign the steel beam shortly before the Satterfield & Pontikes Construction crew maneuvered a 900-pound piece of steel into place at the highest point on the building’s frame. Museum staff and volunteers also signed their names on the beam, many adding the names of family members who fought in the war and veterans who have passed away. “We owe these veterans an immeasurable debt of gratitude,” said Museum President and CEO Gordon “Nick” Mueller. “We owe them for nothing less than our very freedom.” Mueller also saluted donors J. Wayne Leonard, Entergy and the Entergy Foundation for making the first $1-million gift to the $300-million museum expansion. Upon its completion approximately one year from now, the Victory Theater will screen regular showings of Beyond All Boundaries, a cinematic experience designed for the museum by director Paul Hettema and executive producer Tom Hanks. The Stage Door Canteen will be a 1940s-style entertainment venue and restaurant. The National World War II Museum tells the story of the American experience in “the war that changed the world” – why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as the nation’s official World War II Museum, it celebrates the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and the homefront. (504-527-6012, www.nationalww2museum.org)
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