Ken Burns, SDPB Explore World War II

The numbers are beyond imagination, the world at war. Countries against each other; countries against civilians. Perhaps 50 million died. World War II was so immense, no one knows the true toll.
SDPB announces an epic new program from PBS, THE WAR, coming in September. THE WAR is a breathtaking seven-episode 14-hour series, directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, that examines the myriad ways in which the Second World War touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America.

By telling the stories of ordinary people in four places – Luverne, Minnesota; Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama; and Sacramento, California – the series portrays this enormous worldwide catastrophe on a human scale. THE WAR combines harrowing eyewitness accounts of life on the front lines with the memories of Americans who never left their home towns. The film honors and celebrates the bravery, endurance, and sacrifice of the generation of Americans who lived through what will always be known simply as The War.  SDPB premiere press release     The War Episodes

Digital photos on CD-Rom are also encouraged.
OR type up your story and e-mail it to Dakotastories@sdpb.org .

3. Participate with your local high school’s student interviewing project. History teachers are encouraged to have their students find local individuals to interview about their WWII-era experiences. Schools that have students submit “Homefront SD” interviews will receive a collection of SDPB productions for their media library. The first 50 submissions will win a DVD package of SDPB Television World War II programming for their schools. Teacher’s guides and other tools will be available later this year for history teachers.

4. Call SDPB toll-free at 1-800-456-0766 to leave your contact information. A staff person will contact you at a scheduled time and record your “Homefront SD” story via telephone.