GRANITE FALLS — The Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor was the act that brought the U.S. into World War II. This week, the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum near Granite Falls will be marking the anniversary of the attack with the first look at a new hangar, and exhibits focused on the U.S. Navy during WWII.

“We’re excited to show the building to the public,” said museum director Diane Fagen. The newly completed hangar is the museum’s fourth, and features Navy aircraft, ground vehicles and other artifacts, she said. “This has been in the works for about 14 months.”

An open house event for the museum’s new Navy Hangar will be held Thursday, during the museum’s regular hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to getting to opening up the new hangar, there will be Navy re-enactors at the museum. WWII Navy fighter pilot Donald M. McPherson will be in attendance at the event, Fagen said.

McPherson, 101, is a resident of Adams, Nebraska. McPherson served in the Pacific theater of WWII, and flew a Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter plane in combat against Japan. McPherson is an ace, meaning he shot down five enemy aircraft in his career.

One of the planes featured at the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum is a Hellcat painted with the same “Death N’ Destruction” markings as the plane McPherson flew during the war, Fagen said.

Fagen said it would be exciting to open the museum’s new hangar to the public. There was plenty of curiosity and anticipation as it was built.

“There have been a lot of requests to come in and peek,” she said. However, the museum was keeping things a surprise for Thursday’s opening. The Navy hangar will be unique. “Every building we have built is completely different on the inside.”

While the Navy hangar will be open to the public on Thursday, Fagen said school groups from Yellow Medicine East would also be visiting. Being able to teach people about a part of the country’s history was one of the good things about opening the new exhibit, Fagen said.

“It’s really fun to be able to do this, and present this history in a time when it’s really needed,” she said.

Admission to the museum is $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 10-17, and $5 for active military members. More information is available online, at the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum’s Facebook page.