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         The life and times of Mark and Paula Persons
Thursday January 7, 2016:  Mark and Paula visited the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas.
 
The museum is there because Admiral Chester Nimitz was born and grew up in Fredericksburg.

The irony is that Fredericksburg is 250 miles from any sizeable body of water, the Gulf of Mexico in this case.

Nimitz became Commander in Chief of the U. S. Navy Pacific Fleet in World War II.
Many hundreds of exhibits, each with lots of memorabilia from the World War II ear.
 
There are video presentations describing battles in the Pacific, including this one about the Battle of Midway. 
Three Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk, and a fourth became a burning hulk in the battle.  It was the turning point for the Japanese in WWII.
 
Part of the success was attributed to code breakers who were able to read Japanese military messages. 
Because of this, the U. S. was able to anticipate what the Japanese were up to.  A fascinating subject.
 
Twin 50 caliber machine guns and a crashed plane.  Lots to see at the museum 
 
Movie stars were a part of the war effort too.  Marvelous displays at the museum.
 
After almost five years of war, the Japanese were still not willing to surrender.  So, President Truman authorized dropping a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, by a B-29 plane.  Some 70,000 people died.  The Japanese again refused to surrender so another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.  There, more than 39,000 died before the Japanese would finally accept defeat.  Historians tell us that up to 2 million people were spared because no more bombs were dropped and Allied forces did not need to invade Japan to affect a surrender.  

Of the 12 million U. S. military serving in WWII, 407,300 died during the war.  Total military and civilian deaths world wide exceeded 70 million. 
 
Hmmm....what is Fredericksburg, Texas like at night?
Quote of the day:    History is a fascinating subject.   Mark    < Back to previous story Ahead to next story >

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page last edited 01/24/2016