It's on personal courage.
"The emphasis on this is about the people," said Kevin Cuba, the museum's exhibit developer for World War II. "It's not about the war. The war happened. We can't deny that and we can't get away from it. But it's all about the people."
People such as World War II aces Richard Bong and Thomas McGuire, two majors who flew P-38 Lightnings in the southwest Pacific and won Medals of Honor in recognition of their courage and accomplishments.
People such as Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, America's World War I ace who was best known as one of the commanders of the 94th "Hat-in-the-Ring" Squadron, a crack unit of pilots with many former members of the famed Lafayette Escadrille.
The museum chose Veterans Day to give the media a preview of its new $53 million wing.
"I think of the individual commitment of the service members who really provided all the liberties that we enjoy today," said Maj. Gen. Timothy Lowenberg, adjutant general of the Washington National Guard.
"Not withstanding all the marvelous technology, which continues through today," Lowenberg said. "Peace is still attained through the individual sacrifice by the men and women in uniform."
Seattle's museum purchased the collection from the Douglas Champlin Fighter Museum Collection of Mesa, Ariz., for $13 million two years ago. It cost the museum another $400,000 to $500,000 to disassemble, crate and move the planes to Seattle.
On June 6, the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the museum's 88,000-square-foot Personal Courage Wing will open for the public.
It will have nine World War II fighter planes. The other 19 are from World War I.
"The thing I think is really interesting is the back and forth aspect of it as far as the technology," said Cory Graff, who is the research and development manager for World War I for the museum. "One side would hold an advantage for a short amount of time and then technology would be shared and developed and stolen and observed. The tide would change back and forth."
- Museum of Flight: www.museumofflight.org