Lt. Colonel William I. McCowen, hereafter Dad, and son Clint were in route to Bossier City Louisiana for the annual reunion of the 307th Bomb Wing. This account revolves not around the reunion, but our tour of the WWII Museum immediately before the reunion. The 307th Bomb Wing reunion is saved for a separate account. Dad and I left sunny Florida and enjoyed a carefree trip driving I-10 to New Orleans mid-April 2014. The weather was beautiful. Traffic was easy and fellow drivers were sane if not down-right pleasant. We stopped at several rest stops along the way, not just to visit the bathroom, but also to admire the beauty of the trees hanging with Spanish moss and stretch our legs from time to time. All in all, the trip lasted about five or six hours including rest stops and pulling through for milk shakes. Milk shakes is one of Dad’s all-time favorite treats. Not a big eater, he has always had an open mind towards ice cream, especially milk shakes. We kept our eyes out for What-a-Burgers, as we both agree their shakes usually meet the highest of standards compared to many other drive-throughs. However, when in a pinch, we’ve been known to frequent Wendy’s which also sports a good ‘Frosty’. However, all things being equal, and given a choice, What-a-Burger is our preferred source. During one of the occasions where a What-a-Burger could not be found, we stopped at a Wendy’s. The Wendy’s drive-through was crowded, so I parked the car and went inside to retrieve our shakes. Next door to the Wendy’s was a restaurant named India’s. I felt compelled to take a picture with my phone and email it to a close friend who’s lovely wife is named India. We all got a good chuckle from that photograph. We intentionally didn’t pre-book a hotel. I wanted this trip to be spontaneous, or at least as much as possible. Having personally traveled the world throughout North America, Europe and Asia, I’ve found that trips in which every detail is per-arranged can be efficient – and for business is highly recommended. However, for pleasure trips, it is sometimes best to make the arrangements on the fly, such as on our current trek. Upon reaching down town New Orleans, we consulted Siri regarding the location of the WWII Museum and decided to peruse the location in preparation for tomorrow’s visit. We drove by the Museum in the late afternoon, near closing time. For readers who have not experienced driving in down-town New Orleans, room to maneuver your car in the oldest parts of town can be at a premium. Close quarters, streets crowded with parked cars in every imaginable nook and cranny plus pedestrians makes it an environment requiring patience. I pulled into a driveway of the Museum in order to make a three-point turn to reverse our direction down the narrow street. A energetic man rushed up to our car, identified by his dress and name tag as someone working with the Museum. I rolled my window down. He nicely, yet very firmly, informed us that this was not a through-street. I introduced him to Colonel William I. McCowen, in the front passenger seat, letting him know we intended to visit tomorrow. Upon seeing Dad’s hat on the dashboard with symbols identifying him as a Veteran of WWII, Vietnam and Korea, the man’s firmness softened immediately into a smile with assurance that we were indeed in for a tremendous experience tomorrow.
A Visit to the WWII Museum P1
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