Ms. Aliza Falgout’s New Summit/High School diploma class described the World War II film moderated by Tom Hanks as “tight.” That’s modern parlance for “two thumbs up.” 

The cinematic experience tells the tale of the Greatest Generation’s journey from Pearl Harbor into the fire of epic battles to America’s final victory in the War That Changed the World in the words of the veterans themselves.

It was all part of a field trip for New Orleans Job Corps Center students to the National World War II museum in the city’s historic warehouse district. The museum is impressive at first glance and is worthy of inclusion on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It commemorates the heroics of the country’s WWII veterans with a dazzling audio-visual experience for both adults and students alike.

“The movie was the best, all the special effects. It was snowing. It was raining,” said Medical Office Support  student Courtney Sebastian. “You would have thought the plane was right behind us. It was in 4-D. I knew a little about the war but seeing the museum was something completely different.”

Ms. Falgout says while the students had some knowledge of the war but the field trip fillied in many of the knowledge gaps.

“That’s a world calls museum and I really wanted our students to be exposed to it,” said Ms. Falgout. “I think the movie gave a very good overview of the events before during and after the war and it filled in gaps for many of the students. This was a chance for them to experience the history of the war more fully and to get a better impression of it by speaking to WWII veterans.”

One of the tour guides was a 92 year-old veteran who was stationed at Pear Harbor when it was bombed by the Japanese and he related his experiences to the students in a captivating way.

All the students agreed it was a trip they’ll never forget.

“I learned a whole lot about the war and how we conquered our enemies,” said Health Occupation Technology student Candice Bickham. “It took us a long time but we succeeded by uniting and never giving up.”