Doolittle Raiders Visit National Museum of the Pacific War for Plaque Dedication

Fredericksburg, Texas - On September 29, 2012 the National Museum of the Pacific War was honored to host two veterans from the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, who on April 18, 1942 took sixteen B-25s off the deck of the USS Hornet and bombed Japan.

Lt. Col Thomas D. Cole, co-pilot for Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle and Crew #1, and Major Thomas C. Griffin, navigator for Crew #9 were visiting the museum for a plaque dedication in honor of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders. The plaque was donated by Capt. Scott Shelton, Gwen, and Nevada and Cooper Shelton. The plaque will be on display in the Memorial Courtyard of the National Museum of the Pacific War at a later date and time.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt wanted to strike back against Japan. To do this  B-25 bombers would have to take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Something that had never been tried before in US history. Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle’s plan was to 550 miles off the coast of Japan and bomb five major Japanese cities. On April 18, 1942 the USS Hornet carrying the 16 B-25 bombers was spotted by a Japanese patrol 700 miles from Japan. Doolittle ordered to launch immediately, even though they were 150 miles further out than planned. Low on fuel after the raid some parachuted out into Japanese territory; while other crashed landed in Japanese held China. Chinese soldiers helped rescue some the crew members.

While the physical damage wasn't much, the physiological damage was took a heavy toll. Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery. You can learn more about the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, and see a B-25 like the ones used in the raid at the National Museum of the Pacific War.

The National Museum of the Pacific War is a Texas Historical Commission property supported, operated, and managed by the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

The Admiral Nimitz Foundation & National Museum of the Pacific War Dedicates Exhibit to San Antonio Native

Fredericksburg, Texas - The Admiral Nimitz Foundation is pleased to announce the dedication of a plaque sponsoring the Combat Information Center (CIC) exhibit at the National Museum of the Pacific War by Mr. Carl Duncan of San Antonio.  Mr. Duncan is a long-time supporter of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

Immediately after high school Mr. Duncan joined the Navy to fulfill his dream of flying off the decks of aircraft carriers during the World War II.  However, the war was winding down, and he was sent to Columbia University Midshipman's School where he was commissioned as an ensign and assigned to the USS Cotten headed for the Peace Ceremony in Tokyo Bay.  After the war, he finished college at the University of Tulsa and again served in the Navy in the Korean conflict.  In 1957 Mr. Duncan moved to San Antonio and joined Julius Stein as an associate installing and administering Employee Benefit Plans for local corporations.  His long and successful career as an actuary ended in 1990.  In retirement, Mr. Duncan has visited over 130 countries on all 7 continents.

Mr. Duncan has established a Charitable Gift Annuity at the San Antonio Area Foundation for the benefit of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, which supports and manages the National Museum of the Pacific War.  He was recently honored by the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning with its Charitable Legacy Gift Award for this contribution.   Mr. Duncan commented, “I could never forget my roots as a Naval Officer at the start of my adult life and the lessons learned will last forever.  I feel privileged to have served under Admiral Chester Nimitz, who proved to be the right man at the right time and continue to support his legacy at the Admiral Nimitz Foundation and the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas.”

The importance of donors, such as Mr. Duncan, who identify a familiar cause and step forward to support it for the benefit of future generation, is being recognized by the Admiral Nimitz Foundation with the naming of the Combat Information Center exhibit in his honor.

CIC rooms were first installed in 1942 when radar was installed on U.S Navy Warships.
The National Museum of the Pacific War CIC is located in the Okinawa section of the George H.W Bush Gallery.  The exhibit recreates the CIC of the USS Hugh W. Hadley, DD-774.  The Hadley is known as the Champion Kamikaze Killer.  Kamikaze bombers attacked the Hadley on May 11, 1945 and knocked her out of commission. However, she destroyed 23 kamikazes during the attack.

Capt. Douglas G. Aitken, USN (Ret) of Danville, CA   who was on the USS.  Hadley in the CIC when she was attacked was in attendance at the dedication. Capt. Aitken talked about his time on the destroyer and about that frightful day she was attacked.  The CIC had no windows and was kept dark with only red lights and light from the equipment illuminating it. Capt. Aitken said, “It was madness, 23 kamikazes in less than two hours.”  After the attack the Hadley never sailed under its own power again. “It took three days less than two months to tow us from Okinawa to San Francisco” according to the Okinawa Veteran. Capt. Aitken was very impressed with the detail of the exhibit and the work that the Admiral Nimitz Foundation and the National Museum of the Pacific War have done to preserve the story of the war in the Pacific.

The Admiral Nimitz Foundation supports and manages the National Museum of the Pacific War which is a Texas Historical Commission property. For more information on the National Museum of the Pacific War and the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, please visit www.pacificwarmuseum.org.

National Museum of the Pacific War to bring War Dog program from Lackland AFB

Fredericksburg, Texas - Who let the dogs out!? Well on July 14, 2012 at 10 a.m the National Museum of the Pacific War will, when they host their annual War Dog program. The 341st TRS (Military Working Dogs) from Lackland AFB will be in the Memorial Courtyard of the museum that morning demonstrating what they are learning in training. Following the program at 1 p.m in the Nimitz Ballroom TADSAW (Train a Dog Save a Warrior) will give a presentation on the importance of the use of dogs for helping wounded warriors. Both programs are free to the public. For more information contact Helen McDonald at mcdonald@nimtizfoundation.org or by phone at (830)-997-8600 x206.

Dogs have been used in warfare dating all the way back to the Greeks who would send attack dogs complete with armor into the enemy lines. In WWI the Germans and French used dogs as sentries, messengers, ammo carriers, and casualty dogs. In May of 1942 the U.S Army received the first nine dogs which gave birth to the U.S Army Canine (K-9) Corps. The Corps grew to 10,000 dogs before the end of the war.

Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds are the dogs most commonly used for military purposes due to their endurance, speed, courage, intelligence, keen sense of smell, and ability to adapt to almost any climate condition. Last year these dogs put on a great program and this year will be no different so make sure to go by and see them at 10 a.m on July 14th in the Memorial Courtyard of the National Museum of the Pacific War.

The National Museum of the Pacific War is a Texas Historical Commission property supported, operated, and managed by the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

War Museum Brings History to Life with Battle Reenactment

Fredericksburg, Texas - On June 30 and July 1, the National Museum of the Pacific War will hold its Living History Program at the Pacific Combat Zone. The program demonstrates weapons and strategies that were vital in the struggle for dominance in the Pacific theater in World War II. Re-enactors use landing craft, halftracks, explosive charges, and even a flamethrower to explain and illustrate the equipment and tactics used by the American Army and Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army forces in WWII. The mock battle represents one such battle—the deadly struggle for island of Tarawa.

June 30th there will be three shows (10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.), with two shows at (10:30 and 1) on July 1st. The program takes place at the Pacific Combat Zone, which is located two blocks east of the museum complex on East Austin Street between Elk and Lee.

Admission to the 90-minute program is $7.50 for adults and $5 for students. Children under six years of age are admitted free. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the George H.W. Bush Gallery, the Admiral Nimitz Bookstore or online at pacificwarmuseum.com. Tickets are also available at the Pacific Combat Zone on the day of the programs, but due to their popularity, advance purchase is recommended. Admission includes earplugs.

The National Museum of the Pacific War is a Texas Historical Commission property supported, operated, and managed by the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

War Museum Brings History to Life with Battle Reenactment

Fredericksburg, Texas - On June 30 and July 1, the National Museum of the Pacific War will hold its Living History Program at the Pacific Combat Zone. The program demonstrates weapons and strategies that were vital in the struggle for dominance in the Pacific theater in World War II. Re-enactors use landing craft, halftracks, explosive charges, and even a flamethrower to explain and illustrate the equipment and tactics used by the American Army and Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army forces in WWII. The mock battle represents one such battle—the deadly struggle for island of Tarawa.

On June 30th there will be three shows (10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.), with two shows at (10:30 and 1) on July 1st. The program takes place at the Pacific Combat Zone, which is located two blocks east of the museum complex on East Austin Street between Elk and Lee.

Admission to the 90-minute program is $7.50 for adults and $5 for students. Children under six years of age are admitted free. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the George H.W. Bush Gallery, the Admiral Nimitz Bookstore or online at pacificwarmuseum.com. Tickets are also available at the Pacific Combat Zone on the day of the programs, but due to their popularity, advance purchase is recommended. Admission includes earplugs.

The National Museum of the Pacific War is a Texas Historical Commission property supported, operated, and managed by the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

National Museum of the Pacific War Host Annual Memorial Day Observance

National Museum of the Pacific War Host Annual Memorial Day Observance


Fredericksburg, Texas - On Monday May 28 at 10 a.m. in the Memorial Courtyard the National Museum of the Pacific War will hold its annual Memorial Day observance to honor all of those who have lost their lives serving in the United States Armed Forces. This observance is free and open to the public.

Captain Dave Edgecomb Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi will be the keynote speaker. Captain Edgecomb enlisted in the United States Navy in 1983. He was awarded his pilots wings in March of 1989 after graduating from the Naval Academy in 1988. Before he assumed command of the Naval Air Station at Corpus Christi, Captain Edgecomb served aboard the USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) as detachment Operations Officer in support of Operation Desert Storm. His service has taken him to Japan and Washington DC. He assumed command of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi on July 14, 2011. The National Museum of the Pacific War is honored to have Captain Dave Edgecomb as the keynote speaker for the Memorial Day Observance on May 28 at 10 a.m.

The colors will be posted by the color guard from National Security Agency, Central Service Section based at Lackland AFB. The Nimitz Living History Detachment will execute the three gun volley, followed by taps performed by Bill Smallwood.  The Fredericksburg High School Band will provide music for the observance.

The National Museum of the Pacific War is a Texas Historical Commission property supported, operated, and managed by the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.