Untitled Document

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Robert Uth or Glenn Marcus, 202-234-0608 or newvoy@verizon.net

THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL: A TESTAMENT TO FREEDOM

PBS PRIME-TIME SPECIAL ON WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL TO AIR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.

DOCUMENTARY TELLS THE INSIDE STORY OF CREATING THE MEMORIAL WITH WWII VETERANS’ REMINISCENCES.

WASHINGTON (Date) – A one-hour documentary about the building of the new World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington will air as a PBS prime-time special on May 30 at 9:30 pm, right after the traditional national Memorial Day concert. The memorial will be dedicated the day before at a ceremony that is expected to draw widespread public and media attention.

New Voyage Communications, with the cooperation of the American Battle Monuments Commission, produced the documentary, “The World War II Memorial: A Testament to Freedom.” It provides a unique inside look at the effort to create our newest national symbol, and promises to be the long-standing official record of the World War II Memorial.

“It is about time that America’s World War II generation was honored with a national memorial, and we are honored (PROUD) to be a part of it,” said Robert Uth of New Voyage Communications. “But it’s more than a story about a memorial and a war. It’s about the struggle to agree on the values we revere as a nation.”

The film connects the process of creating the memorial, which was designed to embody the unity and sacrifices of the American people to safeguard democracy and freedom, with stories of the men and women who experienced and survived one of the most devastating wars in history. It features ordinary civilians, soldiers, sailors and airmen sharing their war experiences along with better known veterans including actors James Arness and Tony Curtis; Senators Bob Dole, Daniel Inouye and George McGovern; baseball stars Warren Spahn and Yogi Berra; Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, and John Eisenhower, son of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

“Telling the story through the eyes of participants is the structure we used in our most recent PBS documentary, ‘Korean War Stories,’ ” added Glenn Marcus of New Voyage Communications, WHO IS THE SON OF A WORLD WAR II COMBAT VETERAN AND WHOSE UNCLE IS BURIED IN A US MILITARY CEMETERY IN FRANCE. “We felt it was necessary to tell the story of the memorial in the historical and emotional
context of Word War II, to better understand why the memorial was created.” “Korean War Stories” won the national Emmy for outstanding historical documentary in 2002.

Besides telling veterans’ stories, “The World War II Memorial: A Testament to Freedom,” follows the process of conceiving and creating the new memorial, from the sculptors’ studios and the stone quarries to the construction site between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. It features interviews with the artists, craftsmen, public officials and others who wrestled over the plans and location of the new memorial on the Mall.

“It wasn’t an altogether smooth process, and the documentary explores the controversy over the site and its resolution,” added Uth. “As with all public art, there were some birthing pains, and the fact that there was some debate over the memorial frankly makes for a better documentary.” PRODUCERS UTH AND MARCUS ARE BOTH SONS OF WORLD WAR II COMBAT VETERANS.

The program is expected to reach millions through the PBS premiere, rebroadcasts, videotape and DVD sales, educational resources, and a beautifully illustrated companion book with veterans' testimony and a series of historical essays under the editorship of best selling author Douglas Brinkley.

Major sponsors for the documentary project include the Disabled American Veterans National Service Foundation, and the Ford Motor Company.