Special Exhibits for Dec. 2 – Jan. 3: Pearl Harbor and Christmas During the War
Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum in Carrabelle is presenting two special exhibits in the month of December. The focus of one exhibit will be on commemorating the Anniversary of Pearl Harbor and the focus of the other exhibit will be on exploring Christmas During the War. These two exhibits will open Tuesday, December 2, 2025 and be on display until Saturday, January 3, 2026. The museum is open every Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm ET and there is no charge for admission. (Closed Thursday, December 25 and January 1.)
In honor of the Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum is presenting an exhibit commemorating this dark day in America’s history. World War II came home for the United States on December 7, 1941, when the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan attacked the US Western Fleet at the American base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it “a date which will live in infamy”. Learn about those that planned the attack, the sole Japanese POW taken, and the heroic efforts by Doris Miller of the USS West Virginia to shoot down attacking Japanese planes. This attack resulted in the declaration of war with Japan and the US entering World War II. Luckily, the Pacific Fleet’s aircraft carriers were at sea on that day, and escaped damage to fight later. “Remember Pearl Harbor” became the rallying cry of Americans as they enlisted by the thousands and built up the immense industrial effort needed to achieve victory in 1945.
The second special exhibit for this month will reflect on what Christmas was like during the war. Americans had to learn to do with less during the years they were fully engaged in fighting World War II. That had a significant impact on every aspect of American life including how Christmas was celebrated. Americans were encouraged to make their own toys and decorations, and commercially-made gifts emphasized materials that were not needed for war, including cloth, paper and wood. For example the popular Lionel Train toys were converted to cardboard and people learned how to cook and bake with corn syrup once sugar became scarce. Learn more about how rationing changed toys, food and even decorations during the war.
Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.
Special Exhibits for Jan. 6-31: Operation Husky, the Invasion of Sicily
Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum in Carrabelle is presenting a special exhibit about Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. This exhibit will be on display from Tuesday, January 6, 2026 until Saturday, January 31, 2026. The museum is open every Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm. There is no charge for admission, but donations are gladly accepted.
Operation Husky was the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, devised in North Africa as the Allies drove German and Italian forces from the continent and prepared to advance into Italy. The campaign relied on a series of top-secret deceptions—fake units, fabricated communications, and the famed British Intelligence ploy known as Operation Mincemeat, which persuaded Germany that Sicily was not the next target. It set in motion one of the largest combined operations of World War II, involving nearly half a million Allied personnel.
Highlights of this exhibit include a set of top-secret plans for the JOSS segment (3rd Infantry Division) amphibious landings near Licata, Sicily, along with details for CENT (Forty-fifth Division near Scoglitti, Sicily) and DIME (1st Division near Gela, Sicily), the other two American landing forces. This copy of the top-secret plans was printed just 20 days before the start of Operation Husky, which involved amphibious landing of infantry and armor as well as parachute operations by the 82nd Airborne. It is also a secret as to why the museum holds this set of plans.
Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.
Past Events
Sidney A. Winchester Building Dedication at Camp Gordon Johnston Museum
The Camp Gordon Johnston Association and WWII Museum was honored to dedicate our museum building on September 21, 2019 to the late Sidney A. Winchester, a Carrabelle native, U. S. Army veteran and key supporter of Camp Gordon Johnston Museum. We were joined by U.S. Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. (FL-02) who made two very special presentations during the ceremony. Congressman Dunn presented a container of sand from Utah Beach, Normandy, France to the Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum and then presented an American Flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. to Sidney Winchester’s wife, Bobbye, who accepted the flag on behalf of the Museum in honor of Sidney’s service both as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne and as a charter member and champion of the Camp Gordon Johnston Association. The sand from Utah Beach and the flag will be on display at the Museum. Also on this day, Camp Gordon Johnston Museum celebrated Smithsonian magazine’s 15th annual Museum Day. This national celebration honors museums that follow the example of the Smithsonian with free admission.
Click Here to see the Video of the Dedication Ceremony and Congressman Neal Dunn’s special presentations. Thanks to Mayor Brenda La Paz for this video! Click here to learn more about these events.
