The National Park Service has named Evansville an American World War II Heritage City. WNIN’s John Gibson has the story:
The designation is one of just 19 across the U.S. and the only one in Indiana.
The sites are recognized for their home front efforts during World War II, including the manufacturing of ships, aircraft, uniforms, and equipment.
Evansville workers produced Landing Ship Tanks, P-47 fighter planes, and huge amounts of ammunition.
Speaking at the Evansville Wartime Museum, Mayor Lloyd Winnecke said the city applied for the designation two years ago:
"My signature is on the letter but so many people actually put the letter together and created the timeline of events and the chronology of what Evansville did to be so important."
Winnecke says the designation may boost tourism:
"It will help draw people here but just as importantly it's going to remind the city citizens who live here today and future generations how important Evansville, Indiana was to World War II."
Wartime Museum Events Coordinator Donna Bone said the announcement is a boost for the museum:
"And this is just another validation of the story that we're trying to tell and part of the mission of the museum to continue to tell generations that follow us what a great contribution this city made to the World War II effort."
The LST Ship Memorial on Evansville’s riverfront is another monument to the city’s World War II effort.
