The “Nisei Soldier Experience” has been sharing the stories of World War II Japanese American Soldiers with thousands of visitors since the Museum’s opening in 2020. Through never-before-seen artifacts, video stories, and touch-screen interactives, visitors connect with this lesser-known chapter of U.S. Army history through personal Soldier stories.
In November 2022, the National Museum of the United States Army, The Army Historical Foundation, and the National Veterans Network (NVN) announced their collaboration to take the Nisei Soldier story on the road as the Museum’s first traveling exhibit.
Inspired by the historical photo of the “I Am an American” sign posted by Tatsuro Masuda on his storefront in Oakland, CA, on December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the traveling exhibit aims to continue informing the public about Japanese American history in hopes that these important stories and lessons are not forgotten.
The current “Nisei Soldier Experience” at the Museum will close in 2025, and the reimagined traveling exhibit will increase the number of historical objects and video stories on display and incorporate interactive maps through a space almost double its current footprint. The exhibit will highlight the military service of the WWII Nisei Soldiers from the perspective of those who fought for democracy overseas while they simultaneously fought a war against prejudice at home.
The traveling exhibit will tour ten cities across the United States for approximately five years beginning in 2026. This new exhibit and educational outreach are being funded exclusively by the National Park Service and private donations by Museum supporters.
Donate today to join in the journey to bring these Soldier stories to visitors around the United States. Army history is America’s history.
Here are some of the locations on the growing list that plan to feature the Museum’s first traveling exhibit:
- Japanese American National Museum – Los Angeles, California
- MIS Historic Learning Center at the Presidio – San Francisco, California
- Oregon Historical Society – Portland, Oregon
- Heart Mountain Relocation Center – Park County, Wyoming
- Pritzker Military Museum & Library – Chicago, Illinois
- Historic Fort Snelling – Hennepin County, Minnesota
- National Medal of Honor Museum – Arlington, Texas
- National World War II Museum – New Orleans, Louisiana
- National Infantry Museum – Fort Moore, Georgia
- West Point Museum – West Point, New York
To become a supporting sponsor, contact a member of The Army Historical Foundation’s Major Gifts Team, majorgifts@armyhistory.org. To learn more about the exhibit at https://armyhistory.org/nisei-traveling-exhibit.
