The men and women of Utah's "Greatest Generation" recollect the first difficult months of the war. "The Struggle" includes interviews with Utah neterans who experienced Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, The Phillipines, and the Bataan Death March. In telling their stories, the veterans often well up with emotion. Events from more than a half-century ago remain fresh in their minds. Local and National archival film and photographic documents of the war bring these powerful stories to light, preserving them for future generations.
A young Utahn peers of the ramp of a landing craft as it nears the Normandy coast, wondering if this is his last day. Another young man battles with his parachute as his bomber falls apart over Germany. A third shuffles in stunned silence as he becomes one of the first soldiers to liberate a Nazi Concentration Camp. Another Utahn's eyes fill with tears as he sees the Statue of Liberty for the first time upon his return from the front. Almost 61 years after the end of World War II, the memories of Utah Veterans who fought for the liberation of Europe remain vivid. The fear, the danger, the sorrow, the relief of survival all come to life for succeeding generations as KUED presents Utah World War II Stories: Europe, the second installment in a landmark series honoring Utah's members of "The Greatest Generation".
It was the largest battlefield in History. A savage battle fought on an epic scale. Yet it's a story as intimate as one soldier's tears. KUED continues its heralded series on the men and women of Utah's "Greatest Generation" as they recount their very personal stories from the war in the Pacific. Almost 60 years after the end of World War II, the memories of Utah veterans who fought for the the liberation of the Pacific remain vivid. The fear, the danger, the sorrow, and the relief of the survival all come to life for succeeding generations as KUED presents Utah World War II Stories: The Pacific, the third installment in a landmark series.
The final episode of KUED's Emmy Award-winning series chronicles the stories of men and women of Utah's "Greatest Generation" who helped the war effort in munitions plants. a parachute factory, and the farms and neighborhoods of the state as World War II raged. Sacrifice was the watchword as Utahns of the front saved scrap metal, tended victory gardens, went without and prayed big brothers, fathers, husbands, friends, and neighbors would come home one day. Their stories demonstrate bravery and loss were experienced not just on the battlefields, but also on the home front.
On the seventieth anniversary of the end of WWII, KUED celebrates Utah's "Greatest Generation" with the stirring Commemorative documentary, Victory! Drawing on dozens of interviews with men and women who valiantly served their nation at war, Victory! is an intimate remembrance of shared purpose and sacrifice, culminating in the joyful celebrations marking the end of the conflict. Utah's story of Victory! captures a pivotal era in our nation's history.