By Thomas Patton Crawford (Gr8fulson) (63.202.80.60) on Friday, August 30, 2002 - 03:31 pm:

all,
i really wish i could have contributed more to the site over the past year because i think the community that has developed here is an extraordinary group.

since BoB first aired, i've corresponded with many easy co. veterans - even developed a phone relationship with a couple - and i wanted to share some thoughts/observations that i've made that at first disturbed me but then i think revealed a huge opportunity to do some good with this story. consider the following ...

1. most households do not have HBO (never saw BoB)
2. most veterans do not have cable/satelite/HBO (never saw BoB)
4. many veterans are very discouraged & disillusioned by what they see in our young people today (thats us!)
3. WWII history is virtually disappearing from public school curriculums and yet ...
4. ... young people who are exposed to BoB are tremendously moved & inspired by it (which would be rewarding for vets to see)

in my town, i'd like to expose more students to BoB while drawing out the WWII veterans in my community - and possibly even put these vets & students in one room. when BoB comes out on DVD, i'm working on getting a local high school to air it in the gym (FREE). with some promotion in town, i think i can get a lot of vets there too (since MANY have not seen it). through the HS & one of the History teachers, i expect students to come out in force.

i guess i'd like to engage you all in a new string about ideas like this, things we can do - throwing out ideas, helping develop ideas (like mine), offering help & resources, or just discussing different ways to keep American WWII history alive in our cities/towns. all comments, thoughts & suggestions are appreciated.

By Jonathan Jones (Jonjones) (213.123.53.250) on Friday, August 30, 2002 - 04:14 pm:

Hey Dude!
Great sentiments but can we please not make this only American history, it was a world war.

The folks who post here are from all over the place. When I think of it, the fact that folks from everywhere are talking is something that everyone could have done with throughout time. More communication, less misunderstandings.

Thus this board is a monument to the lives of those it has embraced. Thanks to their sacrifices, we're all communicating good sentiments around the globe, which is certainly not a bad thing.

On another note, our main tv station bought BoB and aired it just after the 21:00 hrs watershed.
Best thing about it was everyone in Britain could watch it as it is a land channel.

Kind regards to All

Jonathan Jones

By alan james o'reilly (Alanor) (62.254.64.5) on Friday, August 30, 2002 - 04:43 pm:

Tom

I agree very much with your thoughts.

You may have seen my posting of August 24th under the topic 'Easy Company' Wild Bill Guarnere, somewhat along this line.

Possible voluntary assistance with the regimental associations may be one way. It is an encouragement that 1000's of young back-packers congregate on the Gallipoli peninsula each year to commemorate the landings of April 1915 and subsequently. I don't think this would have happened in the 1960's and 70's.

In this country WW2 vet's have sometimes been able to converse with viewers via email chatrooms set up by the networks following the screening of documentaries. This was done recently following a programme on the raid on St. Nazaire in March 1942, in which British commandoes sabotaged the Normandie dry dock.

(Oddly enough there was a TV commercial some years back, where a young lad on a youth training scheme was sent round to the house of an elderly widower, to cut his lawn. The boy didn't relish this at all - until the old chap got him a cup of tea (the ad was about tea!). They got talking and it turned out the elderly gentleman was an ex fighter pilot, about which the lad was greatly enthused. British linkers may remember this add.)

This leads me to suggest that if you can get your local media interested, this might be a way forward. Maybe local reg'tl associations in your area could consider 'twinning' your town with towns/villages in the UK where they trained? I understand the village of Bourne in Lincolnshire had strong links with the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment for many years. The 3rd Battalion was stationed in and around Bourne before the fateful Market Garden operation. (Less easy to do this for units that fought in the Pacific theatre but still an idea)

In France, at Vimy Ridge, Canadian students studying European languages act as battlefield tour guides, for the area of the Canadian assault of April 1917.

School visits to certain WW2 sites are regularly arranged in the UK - this is where we have an advantage. One is Eden Camp, North Yorkshire, which was a WW2 POW camp. The former prisoner huts now house various displays. There is a former RAF base near York that is also a museum and a lot of restoration work is carried out, could be an interest to the technically minded young person. You have the Confederate Air Force over there but are there any other possible projects where students could get WW2 kit up and running - may be scarce nowadays but possibly worth checking out.

These are some possibilities

Regards
Alan O'R

By cias (Cias) (208.134.215.100) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 02:03 pm:

First, in whatever countries it is celebrated, I wish all a safe and happy Labor Day Holiday.
Next,Jonathon,what is the 21:00 watershed and what is a land station and why was it good that BoB was shown after that time and on a land station?
Please remember that we have different terms for some items and when it comes to the English language, as Prof. Henry Higgins in the song,"Why Can' t the English" from "My Fair Lady", laments:
"In America, they haven' t spoken it in years."
Gary

By Jonathan Jones (Jonjones) (62.7.25.158) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 05:59 pm:

Er, folks? What's Labor Day? Is it like a special day off work for everyone?

Over here in Britain, the 21:00 watershed is the time of day when (by law) the subject matter on tv can get more, shall we say, graphic. The law thinks that by 21:00 those who need "protecting", from exposure to colourful language and violence should be tucked away in bed.

The land station thing is just 'cos I can't drink and spell terrestrial. Our main channels aren't pay per view and are national. Just about anyone with a tv has to pay for an annual license to watch it. But that gives us five of the above channels for "free" with no additional subscription fees. Satelite/cabal channels do have additonal fees, though. So, lucky for all of us, BoB was bought and screened by one of the former channels. So we could all watch it.

Wonder when the DVD is coming out in Britain? Also, does it contain any extra footage that we've not already seen? Anyone?

As for the language difference, you're quite right, Gary. However, I sometimes find "American English" more true to form than some of the terms we use over here.

Regards to All

Jonathan Jones

By cias (Cias) (208.148.113.163) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 10:56 pm:

On June 28, 1894,Congress passed a bill creating Labor Day as an official holiday. It falls on the first Monday of September and it was created to honor the wage-earners. In days past, the holiday was marked with parades and speeches but that has been mostly replaced by family outings and considered the end of summer. Political campaigning used to begin officially at this time but it seems that the campaigning hardly ever stops.
Gary

By Jonathan Jones (Jonjones) (62.7.121.14) on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 01:55 pm:

I know what you mean about the campaigning, Gary.

We have a few official holidays for the masses, too. We call them "Bank Holidays" as it was the overworked bank staff that they were created for, I think. And when the banks are closed, there's not much commerce going on, so others followed suit.

As for the end of summer, now that's a depressing thought. But unfortunately, about true.

Regards to All

Jonathan

By Michael Wisotzkey (Afireinside) (24.171.107.160) on Friday, November 22, 2002 - 04:31 pm:

HELP! PLEASE!

This is the wrong topic but Im desperate. What is the site(I think an Ambrose site) that has several differnt trips to take. There is a Civil War, a few WWII and a special Band of Brothers one. My grandmother said she would pay my way in if I could get more info! Please help!

By homefront41 (Homefront41) (198.81.26.142) on Friday, November 22, 2002 - 04:35 pm:

Michael,

Repeat after me, "search engines are my friend."

www.stephenambrosetours.com

By Ted Behncke (Ted) (129.130.97.21) on Saturday, November 23, 2002 - 04:39 pm:

I was on my fifth and qualifying jump at Airborne School on 5 June 2002. The fact that it was both a night jump and taking place on the 58th anniversary of the D-Day jump was not lost on me. The announcement inside the hangar where we were waiting that it was 58 years to the day got a "hooah" out of everyone there. A tribute from the 2002 paratroopers to our 1944 forebearers.

By homefront41 (Homefront41) (198.81.26.142) on Saturday, November 23, 2002 - 06:24 pm:

Hooah! from me, Ted. I'm given to understand that the young troopers of today are trained well in the history of their units as well as their warrior skills. Congratulations on your wings! Hope your Airborne career is a rewarding one. And thank you for your service. BK

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