It’s really the little things that make the biggest impressions.
Like a cricket for instance.
My family walked into the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Sunday. The first thing we noticed when we walked through the doors was a giant plane suspended from the ceiling. The Douglas C-47 had the same paint scheme it would have worn on D-Day. It was an impressive display.
Then we saw a much smaller display — an older man (who was probably well into his 80’s) sitting behind a small table. He beckoned us over and asked my sons, “You boys know what a cricket is, don’t you?”
My boys stood there quietly for a second, trying to figure out what the trick was to his question. As the standoff continued, I noticed an 82nd Airborne pin on his collar.
“You were in the 82nd Airborne?” I asked. I knew he had jumped out a plane similar to the one above us.
“I’m still in the 82nd Airborne,” he quickly replied with a grin. He then focused his attention back to my sons.
“So, you boys know what a cricket is?”
My middle son replied , “A bug?”
The volunteer smiled and said, “Yes. But it is much more. Imagine you’ve jumped into Normandy on D-Day. It’s night and a man comes toward you. You have to find out if he is friend or foe. You can’t just ask him. So you take this out and do this.”
He pulled out a small brass device and clicked it once.
“You’re separated, hungry and nervous. You’re lost. You need to find your friends. And if he is one of your friends, he will do this.”
He then clicked the clicker twice. The little device made a sound that sounded like a mechanical cricket.
“Now, what happens if he doesn’t reply?”
My son said, “You shoot him?”
The volunteer said matter-of-factly, “Yes, you kill him before he kills you.”
My sons all held the cricket and clicked it themselves. As they did, they could see the man in front of them jumping out of that giant plane. They walked a mile in his paratrooper boots. They understood D-Day a little better. He morphed from a senior citizen into a hero.
We toured the museum and were impressed by the big exhibits. We loved the B-17 Flying Fortress and the Sherman tank. And the Tom Hanks 4-D movie was amazing. But it was the little things that gripped us: The last letter written by a Marine on the day he was killed. The Kbar knife with a bullet hole in the handle (that saved a Marine’s life). The telegram informing a mother that she had lost her precious son. The oral histories of how average Americans coped during the war. Two actual Medals of Honor. Hattiesburg Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lucas’ wallet. The display of soldiers that showed how few troops the U.S. had at the beginning of World War II compared to Japan and Germany.
Five hours later, we walked out and the hero had gone home. I know we’ll probably never see him again. But for a brief moment, a World War 2 paratrooper and his cricket allowed us to understand history a little better.
Because it really is the little things that make the biggest impressions.
Update: The National World War 2 Museum announced today (1/15/15) that Tom Blakey has joined so many of his fellow World War 2 veterans in the great beyond. God bless a great man who brought World War 2 to life.
A visit to this museum is well worth the time spent.
This is the prime example of why the Commemorative Air Force keeps these “old” aircraft flying; to honor the past, to educate the present, and to keep the Greatest Generation alive for future generations! Stop by our hangar (behind the fire station) at the Madison airport when you see the hangar doors open.
Executive Officer
Mississippi Wing of
The Commemorative Air Force
The “cricket” that is on display at the WWII Museum was donated by Ford McKenzie of Franklinton, LA, a WWII Veteran.
Great story.it reminded me of my grandpa when I was young
The C-47 hanging in the museum actually flies. I was fortunate enough to fly on it when the museum was filming some footage.
Hi Marshall,
On behalf on The National WWII Museum I would like to thank you for this beautiful piece about your visit. Tom Blakey is the WWII veteran you spoke to, and I plan to print out your article and bring him a copy this morning – he will be so pleased.
Blakey recently spoke to CBS Sunday Morning about his experience. Enjoy here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57586079/a-living-artifact-of-wwii-shares-his-story/
Thanks again for your kind words and feel free to reach out next time you return to the Museum.
Cheers,
Rachel
Every time I visit the museum, I walk away more and more impressed. I’ve studied World War 2 since I was a child, loved to draw the airplanes from that era and count as one of my most prized possessions a thank you note from Maj. Dick Winters (I had given him a cartoon — he said he had already been shown it by Stephen Ambrose.)
I can’t tell you how special is was for me to watch history come to life for my boys. Tom Blakey would have been interesting just from a historical perspective, but he really is a master storyteller. He had my sons eating from his hand.
I definitely will reach out the next time I’m in town. Because I definitely will be back to tour the museum yet again!
My 93 yr. old Dad is an Omaha Beach Veteran, 635th TD Battalion – Company C Towed Array. I’ve heard stories about German soldiers in American uniforms standing at crossroads attempting to “flag” them into ambushes when they were changing positions on the battle lines. He often said he walked all the way across France to Germany, then up to Belgium to the Battle of Bastogne and back to Germany. They were in daily action for 11 months with only one ten-day break. He has told us many times about those “crickets” saving lives….