By Robert Selwitz
That New Orleans is a veritable mecca for partiers, foodies and architecture buffs is hardly news. What's less well-known is the city's appeal to U.S. history buffs. That appeal will certainly rise in January 2016, when the National World War II Museum opens its brand-new pavilion zeroing in on the battles against Japanese forces in the Pacific Ocean.
Starting life in 2000 as the National D-Day Museum, the facility has evolved and grown to become America's greatest collection of World War II lore and memorabilia. Its address, at the intersection of Magazine Street and Andrew Higgins Boulevard — a short cab ride from the French Quarter — explains a great deal about why the museum is in New Orleans.
Higgins Boats were manufacturers of shallow-draft, flat-bottom boats that were ideal for navigating Louisiana's swamps and marshes. Starting in 1941 Higgins produced 20,000 specialized craft that altered the original design into something that proved invaluable to the military. The craft included a front-loading ramp for quick and efficient offloading of troops as well as critical gear, including tanks.
It was wide enough for rows of warriors, standing four abreast, to exit the boat in just 18 seconds. And this amphibious landing craft could operate in as little as 18 inches of water. All this meant seaborne invasions could now occur virtually anywhere, with landings no longer being dependent on fortified urban docks. According to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Higgins boats were a prime reason the United Sates and its Allies ultimately won the war.
An exact replica of a Higgins boat, aircraft, tanks and other rolling gear used during the war are displayed at the museum. The aircraft roster includes a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, North American B-265 Mitchell and P-51 Mustang. Also here are an M4 Sherman and M341 Stuart tank, a Dodge WC 54 ambulance and a White M3 halftrack.
Even more impressive are the highly detailed, hours-consuming depictions and memorabilia from critical battles. Right now the European presentation — titled "The Road to Berlin" — is most impressive. The forthcoming Pacific portion, which now features a very informative overview, will surely match the quality and fascination of the European section.
From North Africa to D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge to Germany's surrender, films, battlefield re-creations, veterans' remembrances and stunning photography all bring critical war moments to life. Everyone will gain a visceral sense of what it actually was like to storm ashore in Normandy or try and advance under fire through phenomenally dense hedgerows.
Vicious city fighting in Sicily and Rome and the dual struggle to survive German attacks and frostbite while preventing a German breakthrough at the six-week-long Battle of the Bulge are other invaluable lessons to be experienced.
Visitors of all ages should plan to spend at least a full day here absorbing the exhibits but also enjoying "Beyond All Barriers," a film narrated by Tom Hanks, and a walk-through of a mockup of the USS Tang submarine during a Pacific theater battle.
With New Orleans just three years shy of its 300th birthday, a great counterpoint to the World War II museum is to stroll through the French Quarter where the city's story began. Established on the highest possible ground — a wise move by its 18th-century founders and the reason it was partially damaged but not destroyed by Hurricane Katrina — the quarter stretches from Canal to Esplanade streets and the Mississippi River to North Rampart Street.
For those with limited time, it's probably best to focus on the area between Decatur and Bourbon streets and Governor Nicholls and Bienville streets. Here you'll find most of the quarter's most famous sights, including the aptly named Royal Street and Jackson Square.
Dating from the French colonial period, Royal Street boasts many galleries, antique shops and magnificent structures built by those who could afford the very best. A prime reason is that for decades prior to the Civil War trade in sugar made New Orleans almost as wealthy as New York City.
Jackson Square is another must, particularly the elegant St. Louis Cathedral and the adjacent, history-rich Cabildo. Now part of the Louisiana State Museum, the structure, built between 1795 and 1799 (replacing an earlier building destroyed by a 1788 fire), features extraordinary wrought-iron balcony railings, among the best the city still offers.
The Cabildo also was the site where leaders — including the French, Spanish, the French again, United States, Confederate States and the United States again — presided over the city. Another fascinating stop is the Napoleon House at 500 Chartres St., a 1797 house where plotters hoped the former emperor would live if they succeeded in freeing him from imprisonment on St. Helena Island. Napoleon died in 1821 before the plot could be launched, and today the house is a restaurant.
Another highlight is the Garden District. This repository of elegant homes and fine dining and shopping offers an extraordinary change of pace to the often raucous French Quarter. Best reached via the St. Charles trolley, its boundaries are St. Charles, First, Magazine and Toledano streets.
According to a guide, the district formerly was the site of plantations, many of which were sold after the 1808 Louisiana Purchase to prosperous Americans who chose not to live in the French Quarter with the Creoles. Like the quarter, the Garden District sits upon high ground and suffered little water damage from Katrina.
You'll also want to visit the Chalmette Battlefield, site of the Battle of New Orleans, where America's forces ensured victory in the War of 1812. Operated by the National Park Service, here you can appreciate the tactics Andrew Jackson used to outmaneuver and defeat invading British forces.
If you're looking for authentic New Orleans jazz, bypass better-known and now extremely overly touristy Bourbon Street and head for the more authentic clubs on Frenchmen Street. It's a reasonable walk from Bourbon Street's bar scene.
Of course food plays a critical role in any New Orleans visit, and there are plenty of savory choices to sample. Definitely do not leave town without taking a bite out of "po' boy" sandwiches, sugar-coated beignets, astounding muffulettas (a mass of cold cuts, cheese, olives and pickles stuffed inside a huge round Italian bread), red beans and rice, tangy gumbo, blackened redfish, Boudin sausages, barbecued shrimp, char-grilled oysters and pralines.
A drive through the surrounding parts of Louisiana will also enhance your experience. Drive to bayou country and take a swamp-boat ride. Explore Baton Rouge, Louisiana's capital, to see the 34-story capitol Huey Long had built and also see the spot where, in 1935, he was assassinated.
Check out the replica of the White House Long had erected to be his governor's mansion. And definitely visit some of the former plantations, such as Houma House, Oak Alley and Laura. All are living monuments to pre-Civil War days and rural Louisiana's slave-centered economy.
WHEN YOU GO
The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau is a great starting point for everything you'd want to know about the Crescent City: www.neworleanscvb.com.
The National World War II Museum: www.nationalww2museum.org
Many believe Commander's Palace at 1403 Washington Ave. is the city's finest restaurant with outstanding cuisine and elegant service: wwwcommanderspalace.com.
Cafe du Monde provides legendary powdered beignets (doughnuts) at the edge of Jackson Square: www.cafedumonde.com.
Dauphine Orleans Hotel is one of a group of comfortable and moderately priced properties in the heart of the French Quarter: www.neworleanshotelcollection.com.
Central Grocery and Deli, 923 Decatur St., is famous for its amazing muffuletta sandwiches: 504-523-1620.
The Historic New Orleans Collection offers fabulous historic photos, treasures, documents and artifacts from the past: www.hnoc.org.
Chalmette Battlefield is the well-preserved site of the decisive battle of the War of 1812: www.nps/jela/chalmette-battlefield.htm.
Robert Selwitz is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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