The National Museum of the Pacific War is in Fredericksburg. It is several museums in one. The six acre site includes the Admiral Nimitz Museum which is housed in the old Nimitz Hotel and tells the story of Fleet Admiral Nimitz beginning with his life as a young boy through his naval career as well as the evolution of the old hotel.
The largest portion is dedicated exclusively to the Pacific Theater battles of World War II.
The George H.W. Bush Gallery is home to an I.J.N. Ko-hyoteki class midget submarine (which participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor), a Japanese N1K "Rex" floatplane, and an American B-25.
The Pacific Combat Zone is a re-creation of a Pacific island battlefield, and includes a Quonset hut hospital, a PT boat and base, Japanese tank, palm trees, and machine gun placements.
There are outdoor exhibits as well such as a Japanese Peace Garden and several memorial tributes.
One of the tributes in the plaza is to the ten Unites States Presidents who served during World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt (Commander in Chief), Harry S. Truman(Commander in Chief), General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower (Army), John F. Kennedy (Navy), Lyndon B. Johnson (Navy), Richard Nixon (Navy), Gerald Ford (Navy), Jimmy Carter (Navy), Ronald Reagan (Army) and George H.W. Bush (Navy). That fact was amazing to me. I had never thought about how many Presidents had been in the service during World War II. Pretty impressive.
This is a wonderfully done museum that takes several hours to complete. As a matter of fact it took us two days because we were in the main portion until closing time and came back the second day to see the Combat Zone portion. Tickets are good for two days...........they know how long it takes to really take it all in.
It is not a museum that is conducive to photos. But I was so engrossed in their large variation of displays, multimedia and artifacts that I really didn't even think about taking pictures. I frequently get bored in museums if they aren't well done but this one was the best. Talk about a history lesson. It gives a perspective of the background leading up the the war and the strategies, battlefronts and the far reaching involvement of the various forces.
So simple, why do we make it so complicated?
For the battleground portion of the museum it is with a tour guide. It was nice to have human interaction too. He said that they schedule reenactments of battles on this battleground. I don't think I would want to see that. It seemed real enough with all of the information that had been given and I don't really like war movies so watching live would not be good.
PT (Patrol Torpedo) 309 is the only restored PT boat on display in the United States. It was interesting to listen to the guide discuss how dangerous is was to crew on the PT boats. PT boats were small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for their maneuverability and speed but hampered by ineffective torpedoes, limited armament, temperamental airplane engines, and comparatively fragile construction that limited them to coastal waters. PT boats usually attacked at night and were very effective especially in interrupting Japanese supply ships. One of the interesting things our guide talked about was that PT boats have no side rails and since most of the area that the boats served in was tropical and very hot most of the crew would sleep on deck trying to take advantage of any ocean breezes to cool them off. But, to do so they would rope themselves to items on the deck to keep from sliding off into the ocean. Funny how things like this is something I remember.
So interesting to see all that was taking place in the Pacific and all the strategies that were involved. The sheer number of troops included makes it hard to believe that the Pacific was only one of the fronts involved in World War II. There was so much going on that logistically it seems impossible to manage. Thankfully there were good military leaders and that patriotism was at an all time high.
If you get the opportunity to go to this fine museum I highly recommend it and recommend leaving several hours open in your schedule to really take it all in.
"He surrounded himself with the ablest men he could find and sought their advice, but he made his own decisions. He was a keen strategist who never forgot that he was dealing with human beings, on both sides of the conflict. He was aggressive in war without hate, audacious while never failing to weigh the risks."
- E. B. Potter, Naval historian at the US Naval Academy, quoted on the cover jacket of his book Nimitz (1976)
The Museum of Western Art is in Kerrville. The drive in to it is beautiful. Up a tree shaded lane to the top of the hill.
The Museum is an architectural work of art in itself. The heavy timbers and rugged retaining walls on the outside make it look like a fortressed hacienda.
The inside is absolutely a masterpiece. They do not allow photographs inside so this image is from their Facebook page. I wish there was a picture of the ceiling. It is the work of true artisans. There are 23 boveda (vault) domes made out of mexican brick framed by huge beams. The floors are mesquite that are highly polished and they do shine just like in this photo.
This piece was in the entry way before you get to the sign that no photos are allowed. I loved how it is outlined by its shadow. The Museum is committed to preserving and promoting the very finest artwork by Western Artists. Every piece is unique and beautiful. My favorite artist was William Moyers. His paintings and sculptures are very realistic and his use of color is striking.
There are displays that give interesting information about the history of the West that seem to bring the era alive.
The legend of the American West is well depicted in this sculpture named "Wind and Rain".
What a treat. Walt and I were so impressed. Such a wonderful way to spend a day. If you are in Kerrville be sure to take this in.