World War II Home Front Museum

World War II Home Front Museum Discover Coastal Georgia’s extraordinary contributions to winning World War II.

What is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans' Day?Observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is an ann...
05/25/2026

What is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans' Day?

Observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is an annual day of remembrance to honor all those who died in service to the U.S. during peacetime and war. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, and place American flags on graves at national cemeteries, such as Andersonville National Historic Site or Arlington National Cemetery.

While Memorial Day honors those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, Veterans Day — November 11 — celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans. The day is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service and to acknowledge their contributions to the nation.

On this , please take a moment to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Join us at the World War II Home Front Museum today: Free for Veterans and Active Duty Military, Field of Flags, and Remembrance Poppies

During World War One, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae served as a Medical Officer for the First Brigade Canadian Field Ar...
05/24/2026

During World War One, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae served as a Medical Officer for the First Brigade Canadian Field Artillery. In the Second Battle of Ypres, lasting from April 22nd until May 25th, 1915, McCrae's friend Lieutenant Alexis Helmer was killed on the front lines. His death is cited as the inspiration for the famous poem "In Flanders Fields."

The story goes that on the day after Helmer’s funeral service, McCrae sat on the back of an open field ambulance and wrote in his notebook. Sergeant Major Cyril Allinson recalls seeing McCrae write the poem, occasionally glancing over to his friend’s grave. On this hallowed ground, many poppies were growing, fertilized by the dead. The poem was later used as propaganda to recruit volunteers and sell war bonds. After the war, the poem, as well as the poppy flower, became a symbol of remembrance and Memorial Day, honoring those who served and especially those who gave their lives.

Stop by the World War II Home Front Museum on Memorial Day to make your own poppy and remember those who died.

After the Civil War claimed the lives of over 620,000 soldiers, Americans began honoring the soldiers who lost their liv...
05/21/2026

After the Civil War claimed the lives of over 620,000 soldiers, Americans began honoring the soldiers who lost their lives in a tribute called Decoration Day. On this day, soldiers’ graves were adorned with flowers to honor their ultimate sacrifice. The tradition of decorating graves, now with a small American flag, continues today at many national cemeteries across the country, such as Andersonville National Historic Site and Arlington National Cemetery.

During World War I, the first modern war, more than 130,000 Americans gave the ultimate sacrifice. As a result, Memorial Day, as it was now known, was transformed to honor those who died in all American wars.

Tomorrow, CGHS Staff will place 181 flags in the courtyard of the WWII Home Front Museum to honor the Glynn County residents who died in service to their country. Drop by to see this display of flags before Tuesday!

HAPPY HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH!This poster, designed by Allen Saalburg in 1942, was distributed by the Office of War ...
05/13/2026

HAPPY HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH!

This poster, designed by Allen Saalburg in 1942, was distributed by the Office of War Information (OWI), a federal agency created during WWII as a central office for the production and distribution of information and propaganda at home and abroad. It depicts the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor with a burning ship and a tattered flag. The poster also highlights a quote from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address at its top and the phrase “Remember Dec. 7th!” at the bottom. A unique feature of this poster is its use of "Remember Dec. 7th" rather than "Remember Pearl Harbor." The latter phrase became popular later on in the war.

Preservation Method: An archival tube was wrapped with buffered tissue paper first. Buffered means that the tissue has an alkaline substance, usually calcium carbonate, to counteract acids that may form in the material. This is best for preserving materials such as paper, newspapers, and photographs.

Once the archival tube has been wrapped with buffered tissue paper, CGHS staff placed the poster between additional buffered tissue paper to provide a barrier as the poster is rolled. They then carefully rolled the poster around the tube, making sure the poster was tight against the tube, with no wrinkles. After rolling, CGHS staff then gently used unbleached 100% cotton twill tape to secure the poster to the tube and attached an acid-free tag with the poster’s unique catalog number.

If you would like to discover what else CGHS has in our collection, feel free to take a look at our online collections at https://coastalgeorgiahistory.pastperfectonline.com/

National Trust for Historic Preservation Georgia Historic Preservation Division Georgia WWII Heritage Trail Coastal Georgia Historical Society

On June 13, 1942, Executive Order 9182 established the Office of War Information (OWI). OWI was responsible for producin...
05/05/2026

On June 13, 1942, Executive Order 9182 established the Office of War Information (OWI). OWI was responsible for producing and distributing posters during WWII as part of a propaganda campaign to encourage American patriotism and to mobilize support for the war effort.

Over time, the OWI developed six war information themes for major propaganda posters: the nature of the enemy, the nature of our allies, the need to work, the need to fight, the need to sacrifice, and the Americans.

OWI produced more than 200,000 posters to build support on the home front during World War II. This one of a "peering enemy soldier" was created in 1942 by Glenn Grohe but is sometimes mistaken for Darth Vader by school groups visiting our museum.

East Beach Parking Lot Update:The parking lot will be completed by Memorial Day and the construction of the WWII Home Fr...
05/04/2026

East Beach Parking Lot Update:

The parking lot will be completed by Memorial Day and the construction of the WWII Home Front Museum parking lot will take place during the first 2 weeks of June. The museum will continue normal operations during this time.

🚨Construction is taking place on the road leading into the WWII Home Front Museum. We are still open, but please drive s...
04/27/2026

🚨Construction is taking place on the road leading into the WWII Home Front Museum. We are still open, but please drive slowly! 🚨

In 1939, the Battle of the Atlantic began as one of the longest campaigns during WWII. This involved "wolf packs" of Ger...
04/08/2026

In 1939, the Battle of the Atlantic began as one of the longest campaigns during WWII. This involved "wolf packs" of German submarines called U-boats sinking Allied ships traveling in convoys carrying supplies and troops on their way to Europe. However, to many in Glynn County, Georgia, the war still felt far away and across oceans, until April 1942.

On April 8, 1942, two ships, the S.S. Esso Baton Rouge and the S.S. Oklahoma, were torpedoed by German U-boat 123. Commanded by German Lieutenant Commander Reinhard Hardegen and sitting 13 miles off the coast of St Simons Island, the U-boat killed 22 crew members of the US oil tankers. While the Coast Guard Station launched rescue efforts to save the survivors, the attack brought the war to Georgians. By the end of the war, more than 2,500 ships were sunk by German U-boats.

Georgia WWII Heritage Trail

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the South "the nation's number one economic problem" because it was unde...
04/01/2026

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the South "the nation's number one economic problem" because it was underdeveloped, undereducated, and a region of perpetual poverty. As a result, many New Deal Programs were allocated with the South in mind to boost the economy. In Coastal Georgia, this meant McKinnon Airport, the archaeological of prehistoric sites, and the St Simons Coast Guard Station at East Beach. The Station's "First Watch" was on April 1, 1937, and its mission was to rescue swimmers, assist boats in distress, and log the passing of all planes and ships.

The Coast Guard Station commanding officer, Second Boatswain Elisha G Tillett, kept a daily logbook containing information from vessel and crew details, inspections, drills, and more.

April 1, 1937
8:00 am Broke flag out and put station in commission according to regulations.
8:15 am Made inspections of station, buildings, grounds, and apparatus. All in good condition.
1:00 pm Established patrol limits north and south of station for station lookouts.
8:00 pm Made inspection of station. Everything in place, secured, and ready in case of a call during the night.

Georgia WWII Heritage Trail

We loved having this knowledgeable group of students visit our museum! What a fun tour.
02/26/2026

We loved having this knowledgeable group of students visit our museum! What a fun tour.

Address

4201 1st Street
Saint Simons Island, GA
31522

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

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