The adventure this morning is to Fredericksburg, TX to visit the National Museum of the Pacific War. This is a huge museum with indoor and outdoor museum exhibits. From Kerrville it is only a 30 minute drive to the main museum entrance.

We spent our time viewing the indoor George H.W. Bush Gallery which was overwhelming. War in the Pacific began long before the US entered the war. The first part of the exhibits provide the background and history of Japan’s concerns starting in the 1800’s to the aggressions with China in the 1930’s, long before the attack on Pearl Harbor. This was excellent for us who did not remember the history and provided a much better understanding of how things escalated in Asia.

The next section is about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the US history of what happened that day and the months afterwards.

A huge multi-media exhibit about the midget submarines that were also used in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Continuing through this display, there is a video of the destruction of Pearl Harbor. Then information about what ships were damaged, the number of casualties and the repairs required both to the ships and the airplanes at the airfield on Oahu.

From this opening and understanding of how the US entered the war, the museum takes you through the history of the various battles to defeat the Japanese, including the atomic bomb. The galleries include: Doolittle Raid, Midway, Guadalcanal, Bataan, New Guinea/Solomons, Tarawa, Leyte, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa; maybe others I don’t remember.

Another multimedia display shows the signing of the peace treaty on a screen in front of the wreckage of a Japanese Kamikaze airplane.

This museum is an amazing experience and learning opportunity – one of the best museums I have ever been through. And we didn’t even go to all the other areas available to visit. Admiral Chester Nimitz was born and raised in Fredericksburg – definitely a hometown hero. On the Main Street and now part of the museum is the historic Nimitz Hotel which was owned by his grandfather (who went on to become a Texas Ranger).

In the lobby was a model created of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier. The pictures aren’t as good as I would have hoped because there was reflections from the windows. Still, impressive!

Just outside of Fredericksburg is Fort Martin Scott Historic Site, the first U.S. Army Frontier Post in Texas 1848-1853. We ended up driving by it and just saw it from the road. The Fort is a couple of buildings and we were told there are interpretive self-guided tours of the buildings.

We skipped it and turned into the Texas Rangers Heritage Center which is adjacent to the Fort. We love the Texas Rangers Old Time Radio Shows. And fortunately, some of the rangers were there!

We drive back to Kerrville and say auf Wiedersehen to Fredericksburg. Maybe we will have some German food next time!