[ken k]

The War, is starting on PBS station`s this comming weekend Sept 23, its a Ken Burns film, if anybody has seen any of Ken Burns documentary`s like his one on the Civil War it should be very good and worth watching

 

[simson_lugers]

I will have to check this out, Ken Burns films have all been excellent.

Ed

 

[Ole Sailor]

If you go to www.PBS.org, theres a link where you can watch a few clips of the show.

 

[ken k]

for some reason PBS this week has had some outstanding programs on this week, I saw Fire and Ice monday night and right after that an hour program about the Japanese Americans serving in WWII, and tues night Mexican American`s serving in WWII

 

[Mike]

This sounds real good.

I have been reading some Civil Wae forums lately and was surprised to find his Civil War series much disliked by some of those guys. Mostly rebs.

 

[ken k]

This sounds real good.

I have been reading some Civil Wae forums lately and was surprised to find his Civil War series much disliked by some of those guys. Mostly rebs.

i`m not into the Civil war, but I did watch it and learned more there then when I was in school

 

[ken k]

saw the first episode of Ken burns The War, very good

 

[RiverRaider68]

I'll agree very good start. Had to laugh when the narrater spoke of a recruiter that would go to the other side of the street when he saw a woman whose son that he had recruited so he didn't have to listen to a scolding from her every time he saw her.

Regards
Art

 

[Niner]

I watched it too. In Alabama the public television stations are showing the explative deleted version.

What's really odd to me is that there were more than a few photos of dead and often horribly mutilated bodies....but explatives deleted for the general viewing audience. Somehow this seems an odd quirk of the American sense of what can be broadcast on the public airways.

 

[Farmall]

So far another excellent work by Ken Burns.

I hated to hear that he had to toe-nail in a few stories about hispanic soldiers due to political pressures during production....but the "PC" crud not withstanding, it's an outstanding documentary.

 

[ken k]

the name escapes me right now, Burns mannaged to include the family that the movie saving privet ryan was based on

 

[AzCetme]

the name escapes me right now, Burns mannaged to include the family that the movie saving privet ryan was based on

That was the Niland family. Their son Fritz, was the 101st trooper. His brothers were: Robert (82nd - killed on D-Day near Neuville-Au-Plain), Preston (4th Infantry Div. - killed on June 7th, '44 near Utah Beach), and Edward (Army Air Force - his B-25 had been shot down May 16th, '44 over Burma and was presumed dead)

Father Sampson, chaplain of the 501st PIR 101st AB, started the paperwork to get Fritz Niland out of the ETO once he heard of his brother's deaths. Niland was with his unit - no rescue was sent out cause they knew where he was. He stayed with his unit for a few weeks until the paperwork went through. He was then forced to return to the states and spent the rest of the war as an MP in New York.

Turned out Edward Niland had not died, but was captured and remained a POW until being rescued by the British in 1945. The two deceased Niland brothers are buried in the Normandy cemetary.

 

[ken k]

thanks

 

[nothernug]

I hadn't known about the Niland story. I thought SPR was just pure fiction. Thanks.

 

[Walnutred]

I found a few comments distracting, such as the one stating that the Marines were issues "Old fashioned single shot bolt action rifles". Overall it was very interesting.

 

[denny gaither]

The Marines were issued '03 Springfield rifles and Reising submachine guns a the time of Guadalcanal in August 1942. Near the end of the campaign when the Army units landed, there was some friction between the two because of theft. It seem the Marines coveted the GI's Garands and TSG's.

I think Burns sort of fell down in his research for Guadalcanal. Looking closely at the weapons and equipment in his film clips makes it apparent that some of the film is of later campaigns. That certainly doesn't make Burns unique - the History Channel does it all the time.

 

[rickyracer2]

Thanks for the info!