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Posts Tagged ‘Media’

WWII History DVD Contest #1

19 May

WWII History DVD Contest #1

World War II History brings you the first of 2 DVD giveaway contests!

Enter today for your chance to win this first DVD set!

“How do I enter?!” – It’s an easy 3 step entry:

1) “LIKE” our Facebook Page http://facebook.com/WWIIHistory
2) Share a piece of personal WWII history, photo with description, or other accurate WWII trivia you find interesting, as a post on our Facebook page.
3) Mention DVD Contest #1 somewhere in your post.

OR

Worst case scenario… send an email to “contests (at) wwarii.com” and share a piece of personal WWII history, photo with description, or other accurate WWII trivia you find interesting with us.

What are we competing for?

DVD Set #1 Contains-

*WORLD WAR II: THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC* features the drama and intensity of history’s greatest conflict. This extraordinary collection from the History Channel and A&E Entertainment is the most complete account of World War II’s Pacific Theater ever created.

Combining graphic combat footage and expert commentary, it’s a commanding view of the battles and strategy, the men and machines, and the horror and heroism that marked this epic conflict.

*DISC ONE* (approx 90 mins)
ISLAND HOPPING: THE ROAD BACK–The epic story of the Allies’ island-by-island Pacific campaign, using massive amphibious assaults.

JUNGLE WARFARE: NEW GUINEA TO BURMA–In the steamy jungles of the Pacific, soldiers battled not only the Japanese, but malaria, heat exhaustion, and swarms of parasites.

AIR WAR IN THE PACIFIC–From the war’s first days, to the suicidal Kamikaze attacks and the bombing missions that brought the war to the Japanese homeland.

THE BLOODY RIDGES OF PELELIU–From the opening Naval bombardment, to the hand-to-hand combat and vicious guerrilla warfare, this is the complete story of this brutal and historic battle.

*DISC TWO* (approx 95 min)
THE RETURN TO THE PHILIPPINES–From MacArthur’s strategy to the heroics of the ground, naval, and air troops, it’s a stunning story of unstoppable determination.

OKINAWA…THE LAST BATTLE–Witness the desperate, suicidal resistance of the Japanese in the final battle of the Pacific campaign.

ADMIRAL WILLIAM ‘BULL’ HALSEY: NAVAL WARRIOR–Sail into battle with one of the most celebrated naval commanders in American history.

Terms & Conditions

This contest is for a copy of History’s WWII:The War in the Pacific (2-DVD) Collection to 1 contest winner. The set is brand new and provided by the publisher. All entrants must complete the entry task(s), or in case of any issues an email to contests@wwarii.com. One entry per household. All information provided will be kept confidential. Entries must be received by May 31, 2010 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time. Contest winners will be drawn at random and notified after the close of the contest. The DVD’s will be shipped directly to the winners. US residents only.

 
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Posted in Images, Media, Other, Today

 

Everyman’s War – Released

18 May

Everyman’s War

Now Available! Released 5/18/2010

In 1942 19-year-old Don Smith left everything behind … his home and family, his hopes and dreams, his newfound love … to serve his country valiantly during World War Two. His profound journey takes this reluctant hero from his Oregon mill town to the beaches at Normandy and finally to a snow covered forest in Germany where his personal sacrifices lead to a decisive victory during the infamous Battle of the Bulge.

As Smith fights to retain his humanity against the horrors of war, what starts as a simple love letter to the girl he left behind becomes his only lifeline of hope in the midst of desperation and fear.

Over three long years this letter he can never mail sustains him as he battles Everyman’s War … the war that rages in every man and woman who is called to duty and away from their dreams … and helps him reconcile that the loss of hope can sometimes be worse than the loss of life.

This WWII action‐love story stars an ensemble cast including newcomers Cole Carson and Lauren Bair as the reluctant small-town hero and the girl who waits at home.

One man's courage…One man's hope…Everyman's War.

As the seasoned infantry and tank units of the German 11th Panzer “Ghost” division move silently into position on the snow covered hills around Nennig, Germany, a battle weary GI and his unit stand ready to defend the small town, a key position in the Allied advance to win the war. Outgunned and outnumbered, Staff Sgt. Don Smith struggles to find hope and courage against overwhelming odds in one of the decisive confrontations in the “Battle of the Bulge” during WWII.

Review Coming Soon!

Order your copy of the film:
Everyman’s War

YouTube Trailer URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mcqhn-Ib3A

Behind The Scenes video can be found and embedded at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/xfactoradvertising

Film Details

* Actors: Cole Carson, Michael J. Prosser
* Directors: Thad Smith
* Format: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, NTSC
* Language: English
* Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
* Number of discs: 1
* Rated: Unrated
* Studio: Virgil Films and Entertainment
* DVD Release Date: May 18, 2010

 
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Posted in Images, Media, News, Today

 

CONTEST – Finding Granddads War

20 May

CONTEST – Finding Granddad’s War

World War II History and Ancestry Publishing bring you our next exciting contest. The author has graciously donated a copy of their newest book Finding Granddad’s War by Jeffrey Badger.

Read our review of the book here: Finding Granddad’s War

BOOK SPECIFICATIONS
Paperback
Author: Jeffrey Badger
Page count: 321
Language: English
Publisher: Ancestry Publishing

Website: http://www.theancestrystore.com

To enter the contest complete the form below:

[form 4 "Finding Granddads War"]

Synopsis

Finding Granddad’s War

To discover the grandfather he never knew, Jeff Badger began tracking down dozens of World War II veterans from the 978th Engineer Maintenance Company, his granddad’s unit. Through his new “war buddies,” some who told him stories they had never shared before, Jeff began to reconstruct both a life and a very personal vision of a war and the men who fought it.

Some stories were funny: tales of brothels, brawls, and bank robberies. Some were painful: the death of a best friend; building a bridge under enemy fire; the harassment a Jewish GI endured—not from the Germans, but from his fellow GIs. Jeff even retraced his grandfather’s travels in Europe to track down French, Dutch, and Germans who remembered men in the unit.

Ultimately, Finding Granddad’s War becomes the story of Jeff Badger’s own journey, told through first-hand accounts, scores of original photographs, and the friends he makes as he traces the footsteps of the 978th back through Germany, Holland, and France—and trough time. In part II of the book, Jeff provides readers looking to fill in blanks in their own family stories a roadmap based on things he learned during his own 10-year voyage.

If you can’t wait for the contest, or if the winner has already been announced, you can still get this great book!

*Terms & Conditions – This contest is for 1 copy of Finding Granddad’s War by Jeffrey Badger. The book is brand new and was provided by the publisher. All entrants must complete the form, or in case of any issues an email to steve@wwarii.com. All information provided will be kept confidential. Entrys must be received by May 31, 2009 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time. Contest winner will be drawn at random and notified by email after the close of the contest. The book will be shipped directly to the winner.

 
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Posted in Facts, Media, News, Other

 

WWII Behind Closed Doors

12 May

PBS Special – WWII Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West.

The six-hour series airs Wednesdays, May 6-20, 2009, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET, on PBS (check local listings).

This is an excellently portrayed and dramatized series which covers the Allied leadership in its intricacies throughout World War II. The PBS website has some great resources and interactive media covering the production and the history surrounding it which can be viewed at http://pbs.org/behindcloseddoors.

In confidential meetings held throughout the duration of World War II, Joseph Stalin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill sparred and negotiated for the political and economic interests of their nations — making deals that sometimes had less to do with right or wrong than the expediency of their individual wartime goals. Rare wartime documents made briefly available only after the fall of the Soviet Union help reveal the real story of confidential meetings held during the war between Joseph Stalin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and Winston Churchill. Award-winning historian and filmmaker Laurence Rees (Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State, Nazis ­ A Warning from History) tells the hidden story of Stalin’s backroom dealings ­ first with the Nazis and then with Roosevelt and Churchill. By juxtaposing conventional documentary elements with dramatic recreations, WWII Behind Closed Doors breaks through the myths of the Allied powers, illuminating the hidden motivations of “The Big Three” and creating a dynamic reappraisal of one of the seminal events in world history.

Episode 1: Unlikely Friends (Summer 1939 to Autumn 1941)

The first episode in the series lays bare a history of secret allegiances with the Nazis that Stalin wanted to hide. Before he was allied with Churchill and Roosevelt, Stalin offered help to Hitler and the Nazis – much more help than the rest of the world knew.

In 1939, less than two weeks before the outbreak of the Second World War, the foreign minister of Nazi Germany, Joachim von Ribbentrop, visited the Soviet Union to negotiate an agreement with Stalin. The signing of a non-aggression pact between them surprised many – Soviet Communists and German Fascists alike. Though the two nations were careful to convey that they had merely signed a pact, they were allies in all but name.

Episode 2: Cracks in the Alliance (Autumn 1941 to December 1943)

On August 12th, 1942, Stalin finally came face-to-face with Churchill in Moscow. Despite the upbeat newsreels of the time, however, it was hardly a meeting of minds. As one of Churchill’s generals later remarked: “We were going into the lion’s den and we weren’t going to feed him.”
The Western leaders knew Stalin was a tyrant who had ordered the death of hundreds of his own citizens. The problem was, just how were they to work with one tyrant to defeat another?

Episode 3: Dividing the World (January 1944 to August 1945)

On the verge of an Allied victory in Europe, a new fight was just beginning over who would control which parts of Europe. Using rare archive material only available since the fall of Communism, this episode reveals the hidden forces that were tearing the Alliance apart just as victory was in reach.
As French troops marched down the Champs Elysees, on the Eastern Front, Stalin’s Red Army was also making progress against the Nazis in Poland, Hungary and Budapest. The key question was: were they liberators or occupiers?

WWII Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West | Clip #1 | PBS

 
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Posted in Europe Theater, Facts, Media, News, Other

 

Roosevelt on the European War

16 Jan

Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat immediately after the outbreak of war in Europe

Franklin D. Roosevelt

“The telephone in Franklin Roosevelt’s bedroom at the White House rang at 2:50 a. m. on the first day of September. In more ways than one it was a ghastly hour, but the operators knew they must ring. Ambassador Bill Bullitt was calling from Paris. He had just been called by Ambassador Tony Biddle in Warsaw. Mr. Bullitt told Mr. Roosevelt that World War II had begun. Adolf Hitler’s bombing planes were dropping death all over Poland.”[1]

On September 3, 1939 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the nation during his Fireside Chat #14. In the speech he maintains that the United States will do it’s best ability remain neutral during the conflict in Europe, but will still be supporting the Allies. He encourages each and every American keep an open mind about what is going on in the world.

 FDR - Fireside Chat - On the European War [10:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (18721)

Excerpts from the speech by FDR:[2]

My fellow Americans and my friends:

Tonight my single duty is to speak to the whole of America.

Until four-thirty this morning I had hoped against hope that some miracle would prevent a devastating war in Europe and bring to an end the invasion of Poland by Germany.

For four long years a succession of actual wars and constant crises have shaken the entire world and have threatened in each case to bring on the gigantic conflict which is today unhappily a fact.

It is right that I should recall to your minds the consistent and at time successful efforts of your Government in these crises to throw the full weight of the United States into the cause of peace. In spite of spreading wars I think that we have every right and every reason to maintain as a national policy the fundamental moralities, the teachings of religion (and) the continuation of efforts to restore peace — (for) because some day, though the time may be distant, we can be of even greater help to a crippled humanity.

It is right, too, to point out that the unfortunate events of these recent years have, without question, been based on the use of force (or) and the threat of force. And it seems to me clear, even at the outbreak of this great war, that the influence of America should be consistent in seeking for humanity a final peace which will eliminate, as far as it is possible to do so, the continued use of force between nations.

It is, of course, impossible to predict the future. I have my constant stream of information from American representatives and other sources throughout the world. You, the people of this country, are receiving news through your radios and your newspapers at every hour of the day.

[...]

We have certain ideas and certain ideals of national safety and we must act to preserve that safety today and to preserve the safety of our children in future years.

That safety is and will be bound up with the safety of the Western Hemisphere and of the seas adjacent thereto. We seek to keep war from our own firesides by keeping war from coming to the Americas. For that we have historic precedent that goes back to the days of the Administration of President George Washington. It is serious enough and tragic enough to every American family in every state in the Union to live in a world that is torn by wars on other Continents. And those wars today (they) affect every American home. It is our national duty to use every effort to keep (them) those wars out of the Americas.

And at this time let me make the simple plea that partisanship and selfishness be adjourned; and that national unity be the thought that underlies all others.

This nation will remain a neutral nation, but I cannot ask that every American remain neutral in thought as well. Even a neutral has a right to take account of facts. Even a neutral cannot be asked to close his mind or close his conscience.

I have said not once but many times that I have seen war and that I hate war. I say that again and again.
I hope the United States will keep out of this war. I believe that it will. And I give you assurance(s) and reassurance that every effort of your Government will be directed toward that end.

As long as it remains within my power to prevent, there will be no blackout of peace in the United States.

Resources:
Full FDR Fireside Chat 14 Transcript
World War II History Image Archives >> United States Government gallery
[1] Time, “Preface to War.” September 11, 1939.http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,711734,00.html (accessed January 15, 2009).
[2] Roosevelt, Franklin D. “Fireside Chat 14: On the European War.” September 3, 1939. http://millercenter.org/scripps/archive/speeches/detail/3315 (accessed January 15, 2009).

 
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Posted in Country - USA, Facts, Media, North America, Podcast

 

Review of VALKYRIE

29 Dec

Review of VALKYRIE – 12/12/08

United Artists latest feature film, VALKYRIE, starring Tom Cruise, is a vivid drama based on a true story. This film gives an up close and personal view of the conspiracy to assassinate one of history’s most evil dictators, Adolf Hitler.

Known for his intense action films like Top Gun and the Mission Impossible trilogy, Tom Cruise brings his intensity to Valkyrie as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Wounded in North Africa in May 1943 during World War II, von Stauffenberg returns to Germany a crippled man with a changed view of the war and of the German Nazi leadership.

Approached by a group of conspirators against Hitler and his regime, von Stauffenberg is called upon to use his status as a war hero to get close to Hitler and facilitate the assassination. The short action sequences help to drive home the impact of the task they are undertaking. The plot becomes so complex it includes overthrowing the state police (SS) and hijacking the Berlin reserve army forces all at the same time the explosive goes off, presumably killing Hitler on 20 July 1944. The complexity of the plan is well played out in the film as are the interpersonal relationships. The conspirators in the German Resistance know their actions mean certain death if they are caught, but are resolved to make that sacrifice to stop the atrocities being committed.

The film itself is shot very up-close and personal with the actors. Most of the film is focused to within 3ft which helps to bring out the personal intensity, but also hinders the scenes surroundings. This detracts somewhat from allowing the audience to feel included in the film. The scenes were well played, but l would have liked to see a more developed background to the plot. The movie assumes the audience already knows a decent amount of the historical background, but it should have been included for future generations. I feel that omission is what detracts mainly from this film being of great historical value.

Overall I found this film to be a great portrayal of real events and for the most part historically accurate. The alliteration to Valkyrie in 3 different ways (the definition of Odin’s handmaidens who conducted the souls of the slain “Hitler” to Valhalla, Hitler’s Operation Valkyrie, and Richard Wagner’s The Ride of the Valkyries musical score), was woven nicely to help cement the title. From the start Valkyrie well shows the indoctrination the German military was subjected to, focused on winning their loyalty for one man, not for the German people as a whole. Alternately, it certainly helped to recover the sacrifices made by the German Resistance during World War II to fight against tyranny, which many people over look today. This film is an example of their voice saying “We are all not like him.”

- Steven Terjeson
World War II History

View the trailer and featurette on our Valkyrie review page.

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Posted in Country - Germany, Europe Theater, Media, News

 

Stilwell’s March

16 Dec

Stilwell’s March from Burma


General Joseph Stilwell in Burma with Gen. Frank Merrill

One of the greatest feats achieved by an American soldier was General Joseph Stillwell’s 140-mile march from Burma, which began May 1 [1942] and terminated in Imphal, Assam, on May 20 [1942]. From the time the heroic band left Wunthe until they reached the Chinwin River, they were out of communication with the world. In the spring of 1942 the Allies took what the General called a “hell of a beating” in Burma, which they lost to the Japanese. Stillwell, who was chief of staff to Generalissimo Chaing Kai-shek, prophesied Burma could and would be retaken from the Japanese. (Veterans of Foreign Wars 1951, p. 25)

Works Cited
Veterans of Foreign Wars. Pictorial History of World War II. Veterans’ Historical Book Service, Inc., 1951.

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Posted in Asian Theater, Ground, Media

 

Hitlers Gold Bookmark Recovered

26 Nov

Bellevue arrest recovers Hitler’s stolen gold bookmark
12:00 PM PST on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 KIRO News


Immigration officials say this 18-carat gold bookmark was given by Eva Braun to Adolf Hitler. It was stolen in 2002 from a Spanish auction house.

SEATTLE – Immigration officials say a Romanian national who was arrested outside a Bellevue, Wash., Starbucks Tuesday was trying to sell a stolen 18-carat bookmark that reportedly belonged to Adolf Hitler.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says 37-year-old Christian Popescu of Kenmore, Wash., will make his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon. He is facing a charge of Sale or Receipt of Stolen Goods.

ICE says agents arrested Popescu after he set up a clandestine meeting to sell the bookmark. The bookmark was allegedly given to Hitler in 1943 by Eva Braun, his longtime mistress.

The bookmark was set to be auctioned in October 2002 by a Spanish auction house when it was stolen along with several pieces of jewelry.

The bookmark, considered a historical artifact, is believed to have previously belonged to the family of Wilhelm Keitel. He was an armed forces chief under Hitler who was executed following the Nuremberg trials.

While most of the other items stolen in the robbery have been recovered, this is the first time in six years that the bookmark has been spotted. ICE officials say that during his attempt to sell the bookmark, Popescu admitted it was stolen and agreed to sell it for $100,000.

It is believed Braun gave Hitler the bookmark as consolation for his army’s defeat in the battle of Stalingrad, as it is inscribed in part with the following words from Braun: “My Adolf, don’t worry…(the defeat)… was only an inconvenience that will not break your certainty of victory.”

 
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Posted in Country - USA, Facts, Media, News, North America

 

VALKYRIE Featurette

12 Nov

 The Making of VALKYRIE Featurette [3:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (8559)

Starring Tom Cruise, VALKYRIE, is the true story of the assassination plot against Adolf Hitler that took place on July 20, 1944 and which was led by, among others, German staff officer Klaus Von Stauffenberg (whom Cruise portrays).

This video of the making of VALKYRIE featurette contains behind the scenes shots, interviews from the directors and producers, and multiple clips of the film not seen in the trailer.

The July 20th Plot on Hitler’s life is one of the most heroic, but least known episodes of World War II history. Severely wounded in combat, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg returns from Africa to join the German Resistance, and help create Operation Valkyrie, the complex plan that will allow a shadow government to replace Hitler’s once he is dead. But fate and circumstance conspire to thrust Stauffenberg from one of many in the plot to a double-edged central role. Not only must he lead the coup and seize control of his nation’s government–he must kill Hitler himself.

 
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Posted in Country - Germany, Europe Theater, Media, News, Podcast

 

Killing Rommel Upcoming Film

31 Oct

Killing Rommel: WWII Saga to be Directed by Randall Wallace

Sep 3, 2008–Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer have acquired screen rights to “Killing Rommel,” a novel by Steven Pressfield. Randall Wallace will write the script with Pressfield. Bruckheimer will produce.

Published in the spring by Doubleday, the book concerns a British battalion?s attempt to thwart German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel?s desert campaign.

“Killing Rommel” focuses on the British Long Range Desert Group and its attempt to stop Rommel, the legendary Desert Fox who routed the British in the North African desert in 1942 and threatened to overrun the Middle East thanks to his battlefield strategies and Panzer tanks.

Wallace has scripted “Braveheart” and the Bruckheimer-produced “Pearl Harbor.” He adapted and directed the Vietnam War drama “We Were Soldiers,” starring Mel Gibson.

“Killing Rommel” marks Wallace’s second Disney deal. He will direct Mike Rich’s script based on the Triple Crown-winning racehorse Secretariat and its owner, Penny Chenery.

Pressfield wrote scripts before he writing novels such as “The Legend of Bagger Vance” and “Gates of Fire.”

Universal is developing “Gates of Fire” with a David Self script about the Spartan stand against the Persians at Thermopylae.

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Posted in Media, News

 
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