A new “D-Day Plus 75” exhibit that salutes the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion during World War II will open at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 6, 2019 — the date of the 75th anniversary — at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh. The exhibit, located in the museum’s Eagle Hangar, is included with regular museum admission.
Items in the D-Day Plus 75 exhibit are from EAA’s collection of World War II memorabilia, along with rare artifacts from veterans and collectors. The display is highlighted by historical images that capture the intensity, sacrifice, and heroism of the attack on Normandy by Allied troops on June 6, 1944, which began the final liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany, according to museum officials.
Additional items on display are:
- An original World War II-era Willy Jeep, a symbol of the everyday life of a GI during the war.
- Weapons used in the invasion, such as the M-1 Garand, Thompson machine gun, and more.
- Combat artifacts from both sides in the conflict, often collected by individual soldiers as they moved across battlefields.
- Personal items, such as military equipment, photos, and logbooks.
On opening day, the EAA Aviation Museum will also display a number of World War II vehicles outside the Eagle Hangar, the museum area that salutes the men, women, and aircraft of the World War II era. A very rare D-Day landing craft is among the vehicles, officials note.
A group of living history re-enactors in full World War II combat gear will talk about the history of D-Day.
At 6:30 p.m. on June 6, the tribute to D-Day’s 75th anniversary will continue with a screening of the 1962 movie “The Longest Day” that dramatized the Normandy attack from both sides. The movie has an all-star cast that includes John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, and Henry Fonda. The film in the museum’s Skyscape Theater is free for EAA members and $5 for nonmembers.