The City of Manitowoc, along with the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, has announced that the city has been designated as an American World War II Heritage City.
Visit Manitowoc Director Courtney Hansen told Seehafer News, “It’s really recognizing the contributions of local towns, communities, and citizens who stepped up into the workforce during America’s war effort. Across the board, our citizens, our companies did just that.”
28 Gato Class submarines were produced by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, while Aluminum Goods Manufacturing, Burger Boat, Lakeside Packaging, Heresite Protective Coatings, and many more local companies were also involved in wartime production efforts.
In addition, citizens raised a significant amount of funds through the selling of bonds.
Hansen says thanks to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum you can still explore WWII heritage today.
“We have a WWII submarine, the U.S.S. Cobia, that really transports you back to that era,” she said. “You can tour it, you can walk through the entire museum to learn more about this piece of Manitowoc and Wisconsin’s history. That’s such a draw for visitors.”
Manitowoc also continues to keep its World War II history alive through community events such as SubFest, celebrated in July.
The Director of Visit Manitowoc admits that when the announcement came down, she literally got goosebumps, “Because it is such an honor, and such a big deal for our community now and in the past, to celebrate that, but also as we move into the future, and continue to elevate and highlight the history that we have here.”
Mayor Justin Nickels says of the designation from the National Parks Service “By designating Manitowoc as the one American World War Two Heritage City in Wisconsin, they recognized the national significance of our city and our history.”
18 communities received the honor nationwide.
