Texas Field Trip Destination, The Pacific War Museum

Yes, this museum is located in  land-locked Fredricksburg, Texas. Kind of an odd place for a museum that chronicles the Pacific theater of World War II.  It is also known as the Nimitz Museum, where Pacific Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz grew up.

Hotel Facade and entrance to the three-part museum

(We are getting oh-so-close to wrapping up the WWII study. This week, the war in the Pacific, next week, D-Day and V-E Day. Then, then beginning of the modern nation of Israel. I was excited about starting WWII and now I'm excited about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, in terms of finishing WWII.)

M, trying to be studious and listening to the lesson on the Pacific War, also trying to irritate Q just a bit more, before we "finally!" (Q's word) leave the Pacific War Museum portion of the day.

Today, we went to the Pacific War Museum. As far as museums go, it's really nice. You walk into the steam-boat shaped entrance to the original Nimitz Hotel. There you learn about the history of the nimitz family and Chester Nimitz's life.

N, (6' & 1/2"!) trying to see the rifling inside.

The second part of the museum is the George H. Bush Pacific War Museum. It tells the story of the Pacific Theater of WWII, from the Japanese invasion of China to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Q had a bit of a melt-down less than half-way through. He was hungry and not willing to wait to read all the captions and look at the artifacts. I am happy to report that no one was punished for bad behavior, though.

Q, happy as he gets, being very respectful and listening to the docent. 

The third part of the museum is 2 and a half blocks away and is an outdoor mock-up of a Japanese occupied beach-head. They do several re-enactments through out the year. Today it was only Chuck guiding us through the large artillery, tanks, PT boat and hospital.

 

Top photo, Inside a mock carrier hangar.

Bottom Photo, a PT boat used in the Mediterranean. They burned most of the wooden PT boats after WWII. This one had been sold as surplus to a commercial fisherman. The museum bought it and restored it to tell the story of the PT boats in the Pacific. 

This is a YouTube video of the reenactment that they do at this museum.

And here's an excellent PBS piece on the museum.

BTW, F-burg does have a Sonic for happy hour drinks afterward. (Not what you're thinking, half-price sodas!)