I’m no TV critic, but I feel it is my duty – both as a veteran and as a North Carolina citizen dedicated to providing assistance to other veterans – to urge everyone to tune in at 8 p.m. tonight for UNC-TV’s compelling new documentary, World War II.
The two-hour program , which coincides with the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, really is must-see TV. It’s not just about the various fronts on which the war was waged by our young soldiers, though the stories you hear will stay with you. It’s also about what was going on at the same time back home in North Carolina – especially at our coast, where residents took on the deadly serious task of keeping watch for German submarines.
I was first contacted by UNC-TV about this project around four years ago. The Division of Veterans Affairs, our Commission and partners, have been actively involved in helping producers connect with North Carolina veterans who participated in specific conflicts, or had been present at what we now know to have been momentous turning points. I guarantee you’ll never forget the recollections of Jesse Oxendine who, as a young Lumbee soldier serving his country overseas, helped liberate victimized Jews from German concentration camps.
I was fortunate to see the program at a special premiere event last week, during which several of the featured service members were honored. I had anticipated something like Ken Burns’ epic World War II series, which was as brutally graphic as it was thorough. I believe this outstanding UNC-TV production is even better in tying interviews to historical footage, such as the service member who had been on a ship in the Pacific that was targeted by Japanese kamikaze pilots.
I commend Tom Howe, director and general manager of UNC-TV, for the leadership needed to get this important documentary made, and I fully agree with his own statement that this is the best production they’ve ever accomplished. I’d also like to thank Julia Carpenter, a former member of the UNC-TV Board of Trustees, and Rob Teer, current co-chair of the Board, for their significant contributions to this project.