Long Island’s American Airpower Museum Hosts D-Day Reenactment Flights, June 12

“Parachutists” board the WWII Douglas C-47 Skytrain Troop Transporter at the American Airpower Museum, Farmingdale. D-Day reenactment flights will be held on June 12. (Photo courtesy of American Airpower Museum)

The American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, Long Island, is gearing up for a return of its C-47 D-Day living history flight experience on June 12. You can sign up, grab your gear and done your WWII helmet and uniform and fly in the troop transport plane, reenacting the experience of paratroopers on that historic and fateful day.

The flights on Saturday, June 12, will also celebrate the start of summer and a return to normalcy, after the COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines. 

To accommodate demand, AAM has scheduled three flights between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.  Seats will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. To book a flight, call (516) 531-3950, visit the Museum’s gift shop or call (631) 454-2039, Thursday – Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  (a great gift for Father’s Day!).

AAM’s Living History Flight Experience is a one-of-a-kind immersive educational program, where re-enactors take you up in an original WWII C-47 to get a sense of what our 101st and 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers felt on their incredible 1,200-plane D-Day assault.  This immersive flight experience includes: a mission briefing; a chance to wear authentic military field jackets, helmets and gear; the actual sights and sounds as the C-47’s engines fire up and you’re off into the blue; see and hear the crew operate their C-47 and paratroopers getting ready for battle; and you actually form up and hook your parachute to a static line.

This is a family-friendly experience for all ages.  The program is about 1.5 hours long and each flight takes 25 minutes.  A flight experience entitles you to bring along an additional person who can visit the Museum all day free of charge. The cost of the C-47 flight is $350 – which goes toward supporting AAM’s mission to honor veterans and U.S. aviation history by preserving the aircraft and their legacy for future generations.

The American Airpower Museum, Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY 11735, 631-293-6398, info@americanairpowermuseum.org, www.americanairpowermuseum.com.

See also:

LONG ISLAND’S AMERICAN AIRPOWER MUSEUM – WHERE AVIATION HISTORY TAKES FLIGHT – OFFERS CHANCE TO REENACT D-DAY PARACHUTE DROP

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Experience Holidays of Centuries Past at Jamestown Settlement

Holiday feast in Jamestown Settlement.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va.— Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offer  visitors the opportunity to experience holidays of centuries past during seasonal events “Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia,” November 22-24, and “Christmastide in Virginia,” December 20-31.

Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia, November 22-24 – The holiday season starts on Thanksgiving Day with a three-day event that explores foodways of 17th- and 18th-century Virginia and centuries-old cooking and preservation methods. At Jamestown Settlement, historical interpreters demonstrate how food was gathered, preserved and prepared on land and at sea by Virginia’s English colonists and Powhatan Indians. At the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, programs examine typical soldiers’ fare during the Revolutionary War and trace the bounty of a period farm from field to kitchen. While food preparation in the museums’ outdoor living-history areas is for demonstration purposes only, the Jamestown Settlement Café will offer a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22.

Christmastide in Virginia, December 20-31 – Holiday traditions of 17th- and 18th-century Virginia are recalled with special interpretive programs and period musical entertainment, along with daily appearances at Jamestown Settlement by the Lord of Misrule, “grand captain of all mischief.” Jamestown Settlement interpretive programs allow visitors to compare and contrast English Christmas customs of the period with how English colonists may have observed the season in the difficult early years of the Jamestown colony. Visitors to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown can hear accounts of Christmas and winter in a Continental Army encampment and glimpse holiday preparations at a period farm.

This holiday season and throughout the year, visitors of all ages can enjoy the museums’ immersive indoor gallery exhibits to learn about America’s past, including two ongoing special exhibitions – “TENACITY: Women in Jamestown and Early Virginia” at Jamestown Settlement and “Blast from the Past: Artillery in the War for Independence” at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Outdoors, experience historical interpretation and hands-on activities in re-created outdoor settings – a Powhatan Indian village, 1607 ships and colonial fort at Jamestown Settlement, and Continental Army encampment and Revolution-era farm at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

These living-history museums of 17th- and 18th-century Virginia offer many ways to make the holidays memorable, from tickets and packages, some of which include other Williamsburg area attractions, to unique shopping opportunities in the museum gift shops.

Visitors can experience the holiday fun with a variety of tickets and packages, available online at historyisfun.org/visit/vacation-packages:

• History is Fun – This online ticket offers unlimited admission to Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown for seven consecutive days and represents a 20 percent savings over individual admission. The ticket, which includes daytime special events and special exhibitions, is $25.50 for adults and $12.25 for ages 6-12, and can be packaged with Williamsburg area lodging. Children under 6 are free. Private tours for 14 or fewer people are available at each museum for an additional fee and can be reserved in advance online or by calling (757) 253-4939.

• America’s Historic Triangle – This ticket features unlimited admission for seven consecutive days to Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne, Colonial Williamsburg, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and Yorktown Battlefield. The ticket is $93.50 for adults (ages 16 and older), $42.75 for children (ages 6-15), and can be packaged with lodging. Holiday events include Colonial Williamsburg’s “Grand Illumination,” December 2; Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown’s “Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia,” November 22-24, and “Christmastide in Virginia,” December 20-31.

• Four-Site Value – This ticket features unlimited admission for seven consecutive days to Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and Yorktown Battlefield. The ticket is $39.50 for adults (ages 16 and older), $27.50 for ages 13-15, and $14.25 for ages 6-12, and can be packaged with lodging.

For holiday shoppers, Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown museum gift shops offer a selection of books, prints, museum reproductions, educational toys, games and souvenirs relating to the 17th and 18th centuries. Jamestown Settlement’s special exhibition gift shop has an assortment of items related to “TENACITY: Women in Jamestown and Early Virginia.” Admission is not required to visit the museum gift shops, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Shop online at shophistoryisfun.com.

Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily year-round, closed December 25 and January 1, are separated by a 25-minute drive along the Colonial Parkway, a National Scenic Byway.  Jamestown Settlement is located on Route 31 just southwest of Williamsburg. The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is located on Route 1020 in Yorktown. Parking is free.

Admission to Jamestown Settlement is $17.00 for adults and $8.00 for ages 6-12 and, to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, $15.00 for adults and $7.50 for ages 6-12. Children under 6 are admitted free. A combination ticket to both museums is $25.50 for adults and $12.25 for ages 6-12. An American Heritage Annual Pass, $38.00 for adults and $19.00 for ages 6-12, makes a great holiday gift and offers recipients one year of unlimited admission to both museums. For more information, call (888) 593-4682 toll-free, (757) 253-4838 or visit historyisfun.org.

 

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/krubin0830/

instagram.com/famtravltr/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

 

Film About US Diplomat’s Efforts to Rescue Jews from Holocaust Premieres in NYC and LI

“A Voice Among the Silent: The Legacy of James G. McDonald,” a new documentary by Shuli Eshel about James G. McDonald, a U.S. diplomat who helped rescue Jewish refugees from the Nazis, will have its world premiere in New York with two showings on October 19 and 20, 2014.

First, the NYC (and world) film premiere will be held on Sunday October 19, 2014, at Park East Synagogue, 164 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065.  A pre-screening reception will begin at 6:00 PM and screening of the film will start at 7:00 PM.

Then, the Long Island premiere will happen on Monday October 20, 2014 as a Pre-Gold Coast International Film Festival Screening at Bow Tie Cinemas in Great Neck, 115 Middle Neck Road, Great Neck NY. Doors open at 7 pm and screening of the film starts at 7:30 pm.

In both events, the film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr. Barbara McDonald Stewart (McDonald’s daughter); historian Dr. Rafael Medoff; and filmmaker Shuli Eshel.

After a face-to-face meeting with Hitler in 1933, McDonald was one of the first to warn world leaders, including President Franklin Roosevelt and the future Pope Pius XII, about Hitler’s threat to “get rid of the Jews.” As the League of Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees and then as chairman of President Roosevelt’s Advisory Committee on Political Refugees, McDonald worked tirelessly to find safe havens for Jews fleeing Nazi Germany.

Later, as America’s first ambassador to Israel, McDonald helped build the foundation for American-Israeli friendship.

The incredible story of McDonald’s efforts and foresight were almost lost to history until his meticulously kept diaries were discovered in 2003. “McDonald spoke up when others were silent. McDonald’s bravery is a role model for human decency and courage that is as relevant today as it was 80 years ago.”

Admission for the reception, film and post film discussion is $20 per person.

Tickets go on sale on September 8 at www.parkeastsynagogue.org

For sponsorship visit www.goldcoastfilmfestival.org

See also:

Documentary about ‘Sugihara Visa’ Jewish Refugees Escaping Nazi Europe Inspires New Tour of Japan

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

County Fairs Embody New York’s Agricultural Tradition; State Makes it Easy to Locate Online

New York State’s rich agricultural tradition is on display at dozens of county fairs throughout the state. The state has a new website to help travelers connect © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Information on nearly four dozen county fairs as well as a number of youth fairs throughout New York State is now available on the state’s open data website, located at www.data.ny.gov.

County Fairs operate from early July through early September across New York State and present visitors with an opportunity to learn about local agriculture. They also provide countless recreational opportunities and economic benefits to local regions, from amusement park rides to games to agricultural competitions involving local farmers and small business owners.

“County fairs are a valuable tradition for communities across New York State, offering visitors a chance to experience local agriculture and entertainment while also providing a boost to regional economies,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “The State’s open data website is a great resource for New Yorkers to learn more about upcoming fairs in their area, and by highlighting these events we are helping to raise the profile of local vendors. I encourage all New Yorkers to visit a fair near them this summer, and see more of what our farmers and agricultural producers have to offer.”

New York’s open data website is a great resource for New Yorkers to find out when their local fair is happening and where it’s taking place. County fairs are an important part of New York tourism and I encourage all New Yorkers to visit a local agricultural fair this summer.”

Fairs take place in all ten of New York’s economic development regions, providing unique educational experiences for fairgoers in communities across the State. County fairs also have significant economic impacts, creating jobs and generating millions of dollars in economic revenue.

A listing of County Fairs across New York State can be found here.

A map of county fair locations across New York State can be found here.

A calendar for county fairs across New York State can be found here.

“I’m a huge fan of county fairs and like millions of New Yorkers, I’ve been taking my family to our own local fair for many years,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “County fairs are an important agricultural and family tradition, and with the help of the state’s open data website it’s now easier than ever for New Yorkers to enjoy agritourism this summer.”

The current state budget provides $500,000 in reimbursements for agricultural competitions at county fairs across the state through the Department of Agriculture and Markets. The Department also operates The Great New York State Fair, located in Syracuse. This year’s Fair takes place from August 21 through September 1. The first Friday of the Fair, in line with tradition, will be designated “Law Enforcement Day.” However, this year, Friday, August 22 will also be a designated “County Fair Day.” County Fair managers and board members from all agricultural fairs from across the state will be invited to come enjoy a day at the State Fair, get a behind the scenes tour of the fairgrounds and Midway, and enjoy a couple short presentations on agriculture at the State Fair.

The State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ staff of veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians work at each county fair and the State Fair to examine animals for exhibition, including cows, pigs, sheep, goats, alpacas, and llamas. This helps to ensure that livestock return home just as healthy as when they left. Department staff also checks paperwork on all the animals to be sure that each has had a previous veterinary examination and that the necessary tests and vaccinations to qualify for exhibition were completed. Without the assurance that there are protections in place, owners of valuable livestock would not bring their best animals to exhibit, depriving the farm community and public of this lively competition for the prize of Grand Champion

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Sleep with an Eye for Art at Bavaria’s ‘Sightsleeping’ Collection of Castles, Palaces, Designer Hotels

Neuschwanstein Palace in winter © BAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH

Bavaria’s collection of Sightsleeping® hotels invites you to say in palaces, castles and designer hotels and surround your senses with the arts even where you sleep. The newest collection of 43 properties includes a stylish city hotel in Nuremberg, a chalet with lodge views of the mountains beyond Lake Tegernsee, and a 15^th-century castle.

Membership in this exclusive collection is based on agreement by a jury of art experts, professional designers, journalists and tourism experts. Criteria for inclusion are the attraction value and the aesthetic level of an establishment. Only those candidates where sightseeing begins in the hotel itself can be included under the motto “Sleeping with an eye for art”. These hotels offer a new option in experiential travel, where arts and culture are as important in the hotel where you stay as they are in the destination visited.

“We offer many cultural events in Bavaria from exhibitions to classical concerts, jazz weeks and more”, explains theme manager Kristina Nagl. “With Sightsleeping® Hotels, we now offer guests accommodation options that are also culturally oriented. Sightsleeping® stands for a new type of travel, in which the hotel experience plays a central role. You are as you sleep. The arts are your muse”.

The Sightsleeping® jury meets in October each year to decide which new candidates to admit to the collection. The strict selection process guarantees the quality of the offerings. Criteria include the attraction value and the aesthetic level of an establishment. Palaces and fortresses or contemporary architecture with a modern design are all viable candidates for the portfolio. An important requirement is that the décor be worth seeing – with paintings, prints, drawings or sculptures with real aesthetic appeal, or where a concept can be identified. The hotels are often further distinguished by their own cultural offerings and organize readings by authors, concerts or theater productions.

Information about the Sightsleeping® hotels, events in and around them, and a downloadable version of the Sightsleeping® catalogue are available at http://www.bavaria.us/sightsleeping-hotels-bavaria.

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

New Vienna Walking ‘Seminar’ Explores Sigmund Freud’s ‘City of Dreams’

Judenplatz, the old Jewish Quarter in Vienna, where the Misrachi-Haus museum today houses the excavation of the medieval synagogue, destroyed in 1420, and where there is a Holocaust Memorial. A new walking “seminar” examines Sigmund Freud’s Vienna © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

A new walking seminar explores the life and work of Sigmund Freud, through his complex and fascinating relationship with the city of Vienna.

Context, organizer of critically acclaimed walking tours, expands its program in Vienna, with City of Dreams, Freud’s Vienna, a new walking tour that traces the life and work of Sigmund Freud and his relationship to Vienna.

The founding father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud spent most of his life in Vienna. His work in the field of psychotherapy remains highly influential, and today carries weight across a range of philosophies and disciplines. Such is the gravity of Freud’s legacy that Vienna has become known as the City of Dreams.

City of Dreams, Freud’s Vienna explores the places Freud lived and worked, to discover how the Austrian capital inspired his work, and how, in turn, his presence influenced the city. Though a successful doctor with a loyal local following, Freud’s story took a dark turn in the 1930s as the Nazis came to power. As a Jew, he and his family faced increasing persecution and were finally forced to flee following the German occupation of Austria.

As well as uncovering the charismatic psychoanalyst’s life, the tour takes an in-depth look at the wider socio-political upheaval that took place during Freud’s 47 years in Vienna. Led by a local scholar, City of Dreams, Freud’s Vienna, pays particular attention to the fate of Vienna’s Jewish community during World War II, and, in its aftermath, collective attempts at coming to terms with this difficult period of history.

“Freud spent the majority of his life in Vienna, and the interrelationship between him and the city is a fascinating story that we’re excited to tell,” says Natalie Holmes, who co-created the walk. “The tour not only covers the history of psychoanalysis and its inventor, but is also a journey into the collective conscience of the city itself.”

City of Dreams, Freud’s Vienna lasts three hours and is available daily. Group walks cost €70 per person. Private tours cost €305 per party. As with all Context walking seminars, groups are led by a credentialed expert and limited to six people maximum.

Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and designer Lani Bevacqua, Context Travel is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead walking seminars in twenty-three (23) world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, Athens, Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Tokyo, and Kyoto. A certified B Corporation, Context Travel was named one of the fastest growing American companies in 2011 by Inc Magazine. Travel + Leisure has called Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context, visit its website at:www.contexttravel.com.

Belmond Charleston Place Hotel Offers Hands-on Master Craft Program to Learn Building Arts

Belmond Charleston Place Hotel is offering a  rare opportunity to experience the traditional building arts that make this city so special. The exclusive “Charleston Building Arts Package” includes a two night’s stay at Belmond Charleston Place with breakfast for two, a hands-on plaster lesson at American College of the Building Arts (ACBA) and admission for two to the Nathaniel-Russell House to see examples of plaster work and other building arts at their finest.

Guests will begin by touring the college, the only liberal arts college in the U.S. teaching traditional building arts. Participants will learn about each of the trades taught –plasterwork, masonry, stone carving, timber framing, ironworking and carpentry ­– and background on the college. Then, guests will join students for a rare opportunity to create plasterwork as it has been done for hundreds of years. World-renowned instructors will lead guests through making castings (pouring plaster into molds to create beautiful designs), creating and shaping intricate crown molding and even building a plaster souvenir.

Participants also get a “master class” by visiting a magnificent example of traditional Charleston architecture featuring numerous building arts at the Nathaniel-Russell House (51 Meeting St.). Here, guests can observe some of the finest examples of plasterwork, ironwork, carpentry and masonry.

The “Charleston Building Arts Package” is offered starting at $380 per night. Package includes a plaster lesson for one, admission to the Nathaniel-Russell House, two nights accommodation and breakfast for two daily. Additional ACBA sessions available.  ACBA plaster lessons are available Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. until April 17, 2014 (Fall package dates to be announced). To inquire or to book, contact 800-383-2335 or visit charlestonplace.com/build and use the promo code “build.”

The American College of the Building Arts is the only four-year liberal arts college in America educating and training artisans in the traditional building arts to foster exceptional craftsmanship. For more information, visit: buildingartscollege.us.

Belmond Charleston Place Hotel

Consistently ranked among the best hotels in the world by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines, Belmond Charleston Place Hotel evokes the feeling of a grand, 17th century residence, from its lush personal suites to the Italian marble lobby with its signature Georgian Open Arm staircase and 12-foot crystal chandelier. The staff of the hotel is dedicated to indulging its guests with the finest in Southern hospitality, and has become the choice of celebrities, princes and politicians.  Guests can enjoy the hotel’s full service European-style spa and horizon-edge swimming pool with retractable glass roof. Belmond Charleston Place is centrally located, surrounded by historic homes and buildings, and within strolling distance of the city’s delightful shops, galleries and restaurants. To book, please call 800-383-2335, or for more information, visit www.charlestonplace.com.

Owned and operated by Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., Belmond is a global collection of exceptional hotel and luxury travel adventures in some of the world’s most inspiring and enriching destinations.  Established over 30 years ago with the acquisition of Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice, its unique and distinctive portfolio now embraces 45 hotel, rail and river cruise experiences in many of the world’s most celebrated destinations.  From city landmarks to intimate resorts, the collection includes Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg; Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa, Riviera Maya; and Belmond El Encanto, Santa Barbara.  Belmond also encompasses safaris, six luxury tourist trains including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and three river cruises. Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. also operates ‘21’, one of New York’s most storied restaurants (belmond.com).

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

WoodenBoat Magazine Contributor Peter Neill to Lead ‘Maritime Tour of England and Scotland’

Borton Overseas will present a “Maritime Tour of England and Scotland” lead by WoodenBoat Magazine Contributor Peter Neill.

The two week program, June 16-29, 2014, will explore the major maritime attractions in the United Kingdom.

The tour will depart New York City’s JFK airport on the evening of Monday, June 16, and guests will gather in London the following evening for a welcome dinner. From there, they will  embark on a journey of exploration, visiting museums, vessels, cities, waterways, and towns for two unforgettable weeks.

The trip’s highlights include:

• The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich
• The newly restored clipper ship Cutty Sark
• The Royal Observatory
• The Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth
• The Steamboat Museum at Lake Windermere
• The Scottish Traditional Boat Festival at Portsoy, Scotland

The Tour Host, Peter Neill, is past Director of the South Street Seaport Museum, New York, and former President of the Council of American Maritime Museums and the International Congress of Maritime Museums. Presently he is Director, World Ocean Observatory; Chair, Ocean Classroom Foundation; and frequent contributor to WoodenBoat on maritime heritage subjects. He and his wife, Mary Barnes, have been the Group Leaders for prior WoodenBoat travel programs in Norway, Denmark, and The Netherlands.

For details, visit http://www.bortonoverseas.com.

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

New Exhibit at Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Honors Nisei Veterans

Newly enlisted soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team gathered on March 28, 1943 in front of the historic Iolani Palace at the heart of downtown Honolulu for a memorable farewell ceremony.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, unveiled a new onboard exhibit in tribute to America’s Nisei veterans. The exhibit includes dramatic photos, news articles and descriptive text on large display panels, and a video that tells the story of how these Americans of Japanese ancestry overcame the prejudice and questioning of their loyalty at the war’s outset to earn acclaim and respect with their courageous exploits in Europe and the Pacific. The exhibit stretches more than 50 feet and is located one deck below the main deck near the ship’s galley.

“This new exhibit highlights the extraordinary achievements of America’s courageous Nisei soldiers and shows how they proved to our nation during the most stressful of times that being an American isn’t defined by race nor religion,” Michael A. Carr, President and COO of the Battleship Missouri Memorial, said.

“It was 70 years ago when young Nisei men from Hawaii and the U.S. mainland heroically went to battle for America to defeat fascism and tyranny. America’s people, our way of life, and our freedoms were under attack – and no one fought harder to protect all that we hold dear as citizens than the Nisei soldiers. We are deeply honored to recognize these proud warriors on this Veterans Day for all they did in fighting for our country.”

On December 7, 1941, hundreds of Hawaii’s Nisei residents were serving on active duty with the Army or Territorial Guard when Imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and other defense installations. Many of these Nisei were soon removed from their units by a government suspicious of their devotion to America. Most went on to form the 100th Infantry Battalion or to enlist in the Military Intelligence Service starting in 1942. In 1943, thousands more Nisei answered a call for volunteers to serve in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion was activated in April 1944.

The 100th Infantry Battalion was the first Nisei combat unit, fighting in Italy and France from September 1943 until Germany’s surrender in May 1945. The 100th absorbed so many casualties, it became known as the ‘Purple Heart Battalion.’

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team lived up to its motto of “Go for Broke” with incredible battlefield exploits in Europe. The 442nd became the most decorated unit for its size and duration of service in U.S. military history.

 

The Military Intelligence Service took part in every major U.S. military command and battle in Asia and the Pacific, translating Japanese-language communications. The MIS is credited with saving thousands of lives and shortening the war.

The 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion built 54 major defense projects on Oahu. The War Department refused General Douglas MacArthur’s request to relocate the 1399th to the Philippines, considering the unit essential to Hawaii’s defense.

Contributors and sources for the Missouri’s Nisei exhibit are:

• Go For Broke National Education Center “Unknown Warriors” DVD video
• Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii “Honouliuli Internment” Exhibit
• Kapiolani Community College “Honoring the Legacy” Exhibit and 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion
• Eric Saul, Images from the National Archives of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Military Intelligence Service
• Claire Mitani, 442nd Veterans Archives (Consultant)
• Mark Matsunaga, Military Intelligence Service (Consultant)

Battleship Missouri Memorial

The Battleship Missouri Memorial is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. General admission, which includes choice of an optional tour, is $22 per adult and $11 per child (4-12). Military, kama‘aina (local resident) and school group pricing is available. For information or reservations, call (toll-free) 1-877-644-4896 or visit USSMissouri.org.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial, located a mere ship’s length from the USS Arizona Memorial, completes a historical visitor experience that begins with the “day of infamy” and the sinking of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor and ends with Imperial Japan’s surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. 

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Ellis Island Immigration Museum to Reopen, One year after Superstorm Sandy; Repair Work Continues

Ellis Island Immigration Museum pays homage to the millions of immigrants from all over the world who have made the United States of America © 2013 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Ellis Island Immigration Museum, part of Statue of Liberty National Monument, will reopen  to the public on Monday, October 28 for the first time since Hurricane Sandy submerged the island a year ago.

“We are delighted to be able to share Ellis Island’s uniquely American story with the world once more,” said Superintendent David Luchsinger. “I can think of no better way to celebrate Lady Liberty’s 127^th birthday than to welcome visitors back to the place where those ‘huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ first came to our shores.”

Visitors will once again walk the halls of the immigration station where 12 million people began life in America. Open areas on the first and second floors include the Great Hall, where immigrants were inspected, and Journeys: The Peopling of America 1550-1890. This first-floor exhibit, developed with the support of The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, tells the story of American immigration prior to Ellis Island’s years of operation. Visitors can pick up a free audio tour, join a ranger program and watch an introductory film. Outside, visitors can stroll to the popular American Immigrant Wall of Honor and take in fabulous views of Manhattan.

Ellis Island Immigration Museum will remain a work in progress at least through the spring. Repairs to the water and sewage systems have already taken place. An entirely new electrical system will be installed along with a new air conditioning system for climate control of the park’s million documents and artifacts. Elevator access to the Great Hall on the second floor is not yet available, but should be restored by early next year. Because of the storm, most of the museum collection is currently stored in a climate-controlled facility in Maryland. A temporary ventilation system will be replaced by permanent equipment later this year.

When Hurricane Sandy hit New York Harbor on October 29, 2012, Ellis Island was completely covered by water. The storm surge destroyed electrical, communications, heating and cooling systems. After the Statue reopened on July 4, the park shifted its efforts from repairs at Liberty Island to planning the more complex task of reopening an historic structure that preserves a delicate museum collection.

Ellis Island was the former federal immigration processing station which processed over 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954. A 1965 presidential proclamation added the island to the National Park Service as part of Statue of Liberty National Monument. After years of neglect, major restoration work on the Main Building took place in the 1980s, opening as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in 1990. The National Park Service works with its partner organizations, The Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation and Save Ellis Island, to improve and enhance operations at the park.

To visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, purchase tickets at www.statuecruises.com. Statue Cruises is the business that owns and runs the ferries that take visitors to the park. The website contains information about ferry ticket prices. (877-LADY-TIX or (201) 604-2800,  www.statuecruises.com).

For more info on visiting the Statue, see http://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/index.htm.

See also:

Ellis Island Immigration Museum: Where Everyman is Hero

Statue of Liberty invites visitors to her Crown: Only 240 tickets available each day

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures