Humanities Website Evaluation

By, Rachel Taylor

The National World War II Museum

My choice of exploration was within the website of The National World War II Museum which has been open since June 6, 2000. The location of the museum is in New Orleans, Louisiana, and my first online website visit was experienced on February 15, 2013. An attractive opening home page greeted me, with easy to follow navigation links. The six main website links are located in the heading just below the logo/title, search bar, and a register/login link. The home page can be accessed from any page by clicking on the title/logo which is located at the top of each page. What I enjoyed most was the large rotating display of the special features, upcoming events, and the new exhibits being advertised at the museum. Each one of these attractive and colorful picture ads is a link to retrieve additional and in to depth information on the topic. There is a Museum Blog, Feature Video, a monthly Special Focus Article with selected videos, and other various action links which are all clearly displayed on the opening page as well. The main “Visit” link brings you to a well demonstrated page with all the general information that is needed to know when planning a trip to the museum. I was amazed with the museum floor plan, stunning photos, and all that this museum has to offer. It is definitely rich in history, and contains exciting features that can be enjoyed by people of all ages! When you become a charter member of the museum, (accessed through the “Honor” link), it gives you the opportunity to post a personal tribute to a World War II hero who served or volunteered on the war front or at home. The tributes become part of a permanent Honor Roll listing located in the country’s official museum. By 2015 the museum plans to complete an “Expansion” project that will quadruple the size of the original museum and will allow the entire story of the American Experience in World War II to be told. The website allows you to view a virtual fly through video of the upcoming expansion which is just amazing.

I decided to further explore the “Focus” article section at the bottom of the website’s home page that has a “learn more” link to broaden the research information. Dedicated to Black History Month, the website featured a short article and numerous video stories in reference to the brave African Americans who served during World War II. Not only were the African Americans fighting in World War II, they were struggling for their own civil rights in America at that same time. The segregation in the US Armed Forces officially lasted until 1948, but World War II created a foundation for the future integration of the military. It was interesting to note that: “In 1941, fewer than 4,000 African Americans were serving in the military, and by 1945 more than 1.2 million African Americans would be serving in uniform on the Home Front, in Europe, and in the Pacific.” In 1925 there were false reports that circulated among the War Heads specifying that African Americans did not have the cranial capacity to fly a plane. There was an Experiment known as the Tuskegee Experiment which was implemented to test the capabilities of the African American servicemen. During this experiment the African American soldiers graduated from the pilot training programs, and proved their capabilities as strong fighter pilots. The museum website shows video clips taken from various interviews with some of the Tuskegee, African American Airman who served in the war. It was interesting to hear these true accounts of the war, and to view clips of original war footage. Another video reported an interview with Vernon Baker, First Lieutenant, U.S. Army (92 Infantry Division), who destroyed many enemy positions while leading an assault against the Germans near Viareggio, Italy on April 5, 1945. It was not until January 13, 1997, almost 52 years later that First Lieutenant Vernon Baker was awarded the Medal of Honor for his exemplary service by President Clinton. Baker became the only living African American serviceman from World War II to receive the Medal of Honor.

The many videos displayed on the website are an effective tool in reaching any audience because it gives a great visual of the facts, and grasps the attention of the viewer. The website also advertises the museum’s extraordinary 4D cinema which is named “Victory Theater”. This movie theater is described as having a “mammoth panoramic screen and multi-level special effects”. The theater experience portrayed briefly in a video also aids in grasping the full attention of the viewer.

The following quote from the website shows what I feel has been accomplished during my visit, and describes best what the intentions are of the museum and its website:

“The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American Experience in the war that changed the world - why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today - so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn.”

The founder of the museum is the late, Stephen E. Ambrose Ph. D. who lived from 1936 – 2002. The website has a listing of the museum’s Board of Trustees Officers and the Board of Trustees from 2011 – 2012, along with the listing of the Partners and Collaborations.