Part Of The Museum's WWII Focused Education Program

Eighteen middle and high school educators from across the United States spent four days touring World War II historic sites on Oahu as part of an 18-month hands-on program called Understanding Sacrifice, aimed at teaching educators about America’s role in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II.

Teachers spent two of these four days at Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor on historic Ford Island, the site where bombs fell during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. While at the Museum, teachers learned about the role aviation played during the war by viewing World War II-era Japanese and American warplanes displayed at the Museum, including the iconic B-17 “Swamp Ghost.” Teachers also met with John Henry Felix and Bob Vieira, two community leaders who were children at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Other WWII historic sites visited included the USS Bowfin, USS Missouri, USS Arizona Memorial, and National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

This highly selective 18-month program kicked off in October 2016 and is based on a partnership between National History Day, the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). In addition to virtual lectures, studying books on the conflict and interactive discussions, educators receive hosted travel accommodations to WWII historic sites to see first-hand the places that influenced the outcome of the war.

“Feeling the thin aluminum skin of the C-47 aircraft made me realize just how susceptible these planes were to enemy fire,” said Minnesota teacher Jermey Miller. “Seeing the bullet holes in the B-17 Swamp Ghost and the damage done to the aircraft after it had crash landed made the dangers the aircrews faced much more salient.”

Dr. Shauna Tonkin, Director of Education, stated, “Our mission at Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor is to preserve the stories of sacrifice and courage so that we will never forget. We’re honored to host this program, helping educators from the across the nation gain a better understanding of the impact and importance of Pearl Harbor.”

(Source: Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor news release)

FMI: www.pacificaviationmuseum.org