The Purple Heart Battalion Past Exhibit … The 442nd Regimental Combat Team None of us thought we were coming home alive. —Lawson Sakai Following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Roosevelt administration required people of Japanese descent living on the West Coast to leave their homes and live in camps. 2,100 of the relocated citizens volunteered for military service. Together with Japanese American soldiers from Hawaii, they formed the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.  The 442nd fought in seven …

Victory in Japan 75th Anniversary of the End of WWII Past Exhibit … Japan Surrenders World War II, the bloodiest conflict in history, came to an end in a 27-minute ceremony on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, six years and one day after the war erupted in Europe. On that September morning in 1945, Japanese officials signed a formal instrument of surrender that ended hostilities in the Pacific theater and proclaimed “the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General …

George Washingtons First Inaugural Address Past Exhibit … My station is new; and, if I may use the expression, I walk on untrodden ground.   -George Washington in a letter, January 9, 1790 George Washington set many precedents as the first President of the United States, beginning on the day he took office. On April 30, 1789, in the temporary capital of New York City on the second floor balcony of Federal Hall, George Washington placed his hand upon a bible and publicly swore his oath before a cheering …

75th Anniversary of VE Day End of WWII in Europe Past Exhibit … Victory in Europe World War II, the deadliest military conflict in history, erupted in Europe on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. For nearly six years it raged in the European Theater resulting in millions of military and civilian deaths and destroying cities, homes, and families. Finally, in the spring of 1945, Allied forces exhausted the will and fighting capacity of the German war machine. Slowly, but completely, the Nazi-led …

North Atlantic Treaty Past Exhibit … A shield against aggression and fear of aggression. —President Harry S. Truman On April 4, 1949, representatives of the United States, Canada, and 10 Western European nations met in Washington, DC, to sign a mutual defense pact against possible aggression from the Soviet Union. The treaty formed the legal basis of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. Originally signed by the U.S, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, …

Honoring Native American Soldiers World War I Service Past Exhibit … Patriotism at a cost During World War I, an estimated 12,000 Native American soldiers served in the U.S. military, and tens of thousands of Native Americans supported the war at home by working in war industries, purchasing war bonds, and assisting in war relief efforts. American Indian soldiers were praised for their bravery at the front, but stereotypes about Native Americans as natural "warriors" led to dangerous combat assignments …

Memorial Day Honoring the Fallen Past Exhibit … Memorial Day recognizes and honors the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the Armed Forces. The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery. General John A. Logan, Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, proclaimed: “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during …

MeuseArgonne Offensive Map Past Exhibit … The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the largest operation of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I and the deadliest military campaign in American history. Fought from September 26 – November 11, 1918, by over a million American soldiers, the Meuse-Argonne operation was part of the final Allied offensive that brought an end to World War I. In commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, a map illustrating American advances …

Special Document Display Emancipation Proclamation Past Exhibit … Rare opportunity to see the Emancipation Proclamation . The National Archives marks the 156th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation with a special 3-day display of the original document. President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation captured the hearts and imagination of millions of Americans and fundamentally transformed the character of the Civil War. As a milestone along the road to slavery’s final destruction, the …