Untold Stories of WWII

JUNE 14TH MARKS FLAG DAY AN ANNUAL OBSERVANCE THAT COMMEMORATES THE ADOPTION OF THE AMERICAN FLAG IN 17. 77 AS PART OF THE CELEBRATIONS, A SPECIAL SHOWING OF THE NEW DOCUMENTARY WILL BE HAPPENING IN CAPE CORAL. MY FATHER'S WAR MEMORIES FROM OUR HONOR WORLD WAR. 2 SOLDIERS SHARES THE FIRSTHAND STORIES FROM VETERANS OF THE CONFLICT FOLLOWING SOLD-OUT SCREENINGS IN NEW ENGLAND, LIMITED TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR THE SHOWING AT THE MARQUEE CINEMAS THIS SUNDAY THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 14TH MARKS FLAG DAY AS PART OF OUR CONTINUING COVERAGE OF AMERICA. 2.50, I AM NOW JOINED AND HONORED TO BE JOINED BY CHARLIE VALERA FROM CAPE CORAL. HE IS THE AUTHOR AND DOCUMENTARIAN OF A NEW FILM. AND YOU HAVE WORKED VERY HARD. CHARLIE ON THIS FILM. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW YOU FIRST BEGAN TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT? >> WHAT'S 5 AFTER MY FATHER PASSED AWAY? I GOT IT. I RECEIVED A COPY OF HIS DISCHARGE PAPERS. DD 2.14, AND ON IT. IT SHOWED WHERE HE WAS DURING THE WAR AND HOW LONG HE WAS THERE. BUT HE NEVER TALKED TO US ABOUT IT FOR CENTRE AND NOBODY OUT. AND ONE OF MY BROTHERS SERVED IN THE NAVY DURING THE VIETNAM CONFLICT. AND WHAT A SAD TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO IT. I REALIZED TEAM WITH 3 OTHER GUYS LIKE ME WHOSE DAD WAS IN THE WAR AND NEVER HEARD ANY STORIES SENT. I WONDER WHY. AT THAT POINT. I DECIDED TO LIVE INTERVIEW SOME WHERE WHERE TO VENTURE INTO THEIR LIVES WILL LIKE I WASN'T SO CONCERNED ABOUT THE BATTLES AS MUCH AS I WAS CONCERNED WITH. HI TO LIVE A LIFE LIKE THAT. WHAT DID YOU EAT? I DID YOU SLEEP WITH? DID YOU SEE? HOW LONG THE THERE WHAT WE'RE THINKING. WHAT DID YOU DO? SO I STAND BY WANTING TO INTERVIEW VETERANS FROM ALL BRANCHES IN BOTH THEATERS OF WAR. SO IF YOU HAD A RELATIVE THAT WAS. MAYBE IN THE NAVY. AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEIR LIFE WAS LIKE. >> I WANT TO KNOW HOW DID YOU FIND THESE VETERANS AND THEN SELECTED TO ACTUALLY GO ON CAMERA? ACTUALLY PROBABLY INTERVIEWED ABOUT 25 TO 30. >> AND I WOULD GO TO THE HOUSE. I HAD A LITTLE HANDHELD CAMERA AND WANT TO MAKE SURE VIDEO THEM. I GOT WITH EAST. I WILL DO WHAT THEY SAID. NOT WHAT I THOUGHT. I HEARD SO I BUT THEY CAME WITH ME. I HAD A FEW SERIOUS QUESTIONS. SIMPLE THINGS. AND FROM THERE, LET THEM GO ON. SO I COULD HEAR WHAT IT IS. THEY WANT TO FINALLY GET OFF THE SHOULDERS IF THEY WERE IN THEIR EARLY TO MID 90'S. WHEN I MET WITH THEM. >> DID THEY OPEN UP TO YOU AND MAKE THEMSELVES PRETTY VULNERABLE? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IS OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT VETERANS THEY IN GENERAL DON'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT. >> AT FIRST THEY DID NOT SOME OF THEM. >> WE'RE VERY DIFFICULT AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, TO DO THIS BEFORE OR >> I WANT TO CAMERA ON. BUT AGAIN, I THINK I DON'T THINK I WOULD TO ANY HOUSE WON'T. I PROBABLY WENT BACK 3 TO 5 TIMES. BECAUSE EVERY ANTI-GAY BE 2 MORE QUESTIONS. AND EVENTUALLY THEY DID OPEN UP TO MEET THE LIKE I MENTIONED, WE MADE PROMISES. I MADE THEM PROMISES. THEY DID OPEN UP. SO, YEAH, I WAS VERY FORTUNATE. >> AND WHAT'S THE RESULT OF ALL OF THIS WORK TELLING MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE FILM AND INCLUDED AND WHAT YOUR GOAL IS WITH THE FILM. >> THE FAMILIES. >> I HAD ABOUT PROBABLY 25 HOURS THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE IT. >> AND IT DOWN TO ABOUT 80 MINUTE. THAT'S BEEN DONE. 8, 9, VETERAN SERVING THERE. AS WELL AS ACROSS MYSELF BECAUSE YOU'RE IN THE U.S. AND HOW SHOWING YOU TO BE THERE. OF THE 9 VETERANS. LIKE I SAID, I WANTED TO PAINT WITH A NICE BROAD BRUSH AND GET EVERY POSSIBLE DETAIL. IS ONE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS ON A U.S. HAS NORTH CAROLINA. OKAY. HIT BY A TORPEDO WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? IT WAS A SOUND LIKE WHAT DID YOU SEE? AND THEN I NEED TO GO AND GET SOME OVERLAYS TO PUT OVER. DURING THE FILM. SO YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND. BUT SOME OF THOSE INSTANCES ARE ALIKE. ONE OF THE GENTLEMAN WAS IN 3 CONCENTRATION CAMPS. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? I WOULD HAVE TO DO FOR THEM. WHEN YOU LEFT. AND THE GENTLEMEN TAKEN, THEY WERE PINNED DOWN AND HE HAD TO TAKE OUT AN ENEMY MACHINE GUN ENCAMPMENT SINGLE-HANDEDLY SOMEBODY HAD TO DO IT. THIS GUY THAT WAS 5 FOOT, ONE INCHES, ONE INCH. WE HAD TO DO. HE HADN'T TALKED ABOUT THAT. THESE THESE GUYS HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS STUFF IN 67 YEARS. >> HOW DID IT IMPACT YOU TO HEAR THESE STORIES FIRST HAND? I WOULD IMAGINE. IT GOT PRETTY EMOTIONAL AT TIMES. >> IT WAS A LITTLE EMOTIONAL. IT WAS MORE ENCOURAGING. I WAS SO ENCOURAGED. AND SO IN AWE THAT THE GUY NEXT DOOR, THAT OLD GUY THAT LIVES NEXT DOOR TO YOU WITH THAT AMERICAN FLAG OUT FRONT. THAT THAT GUY WAS A MARINE IN GUANICA. NOW YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. NO WAY. THAT IS LIKE SO FAR LIVES. AND THAT'S WHAT HE WENT THROUGH. AND HE WAS 20 YEARS OLD. SO THE MORE I TALK WITH THEM. AND THE MORE I GOT INTERESTED IN WHAT ELSE CAN I DO NOW? WHAT HAS COME TO FIND OUT ONE REASON A CALL THAT MY FATHER'S WAR IS BECAUSE A LOT OF THE VETERANS CHILDREN. I WAS TALKING TO THEIR FATHER'S WAR AS WELL. I WANT TO CALL OUR FATHER'S WORDS. >> THE BIBLICAL SIT ON OR IF YOUR FATHER. >> AND EVERY. >> EVERYBODY'S 5 OF THE TARIFF DURING THE WAR. THERE IS ONE STORY IN THERE, THOUGH, ABOUT A HUSBAND AND WIFE. I NEED TO HEAR HER VERSION BECAUSE HE WAS A P O W. HE WAS SHOT ON QUITE INTO BEING A PRISONER OF WAR, CARLO OR 2. AND I WAS ABLE TO TALK WITH HIS WIFE AND GET HER AND HAD HIS STORY. I WANTED HERS. GREAT PERSPECTIVE. IT SURE WIFE. YEAH. I WAS LIKE, WHEW. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU GOT THIS? YOU KNOW HIS M I A WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU GOT THIS IS THE P O W WOULD YOU DO? HOW DID YOU HELP THEM OUT? SAME QUESTIONS THAT I THINK ANYBODY WOULD ASK IF THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THIS IT WITH A WORLD WAR. 2 VETERAN. >> AND THERE ARE FEW WORLD WAR, 2 VETERANS STILL WITH US TO THIS DAY. YOU MENTIONED, I THINK ALMOST ALL THAT YOU'VE INTERVIEWED HAS SINCE PASSED, BUT THERE'S ONE REMAINING. TELL US ABOUT THIS. THIS GENTLEMAN. >> CHARLIE SANDERSON, IF YOU WATCHED A DOCUMENTARY, HE'S THE FIRST ONE IN THE DOCUMENTARY. THEY WEREN'T PUT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER. HE JUST HAPPENED TO BE TO TALLY. WASN'T HE SHOWED UP AT THE THEATER. ON SATURDAY. SO SURPRISED. I HAVE BEEN CALLING HIM NO LUCK. I TEND UP SNAIL MAIL WITH THE LETTER AND IT'S SAYING LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO PICK YOU UP ON, MAKE SURE YOU ENTER. I GET TO A LIMO. WHATEVER PEOPLE HE WAS LIKE A ROCK STAR REALLY BEFORE GATHERING AROUND HIM AND THANKING HIM AND HE HAD THE SAME HAT ON THAT HE HAS IN THE PITCHES AND IN THE FILM. HE WAS SO HAPPY. WE BROUGHT HIM IN. HAVE A SEAT HAD SOME PEOPLE EVEN WHO MIGHT HAVE CARRIED THIS COULD HAVE A SPEECH SPOT FATALITY HE WENT TO SIT DOWN. EVERYBODY STOOD UP, GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, A STANDING OVATION. HE GOT UP. HE TIPPED HIS HAT. AND STEP BACK UP AND THEN WATCHED HIMSELF ON THE BIG SCREEN. >> WHAT A WAY TO HONOR HIM. FANTASTIC. >> IT WAS PRETTY AWESOME. >> DOES THAT IN ITSELF MAKE THIS PROJECT WORTH IT? >> ABSOLUTELY. NO. GO. IF NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS, THAT WAS DOLLARS. THAT WAS GOOD. >> WHAT'S THE FINAL RUN? TIME ON IT IN. >> AND IF SOMEONE'S INTERESTED IN IN SEEING IT, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE. >> PREMIERING IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. TELL US ABOUT THAT. THE FILM IS 80 MINUTE WRONG. BE SHOWN AT THE MARQUEE SENATORS IN CAPE CORAL AND PEAK ROAD PLAZA ON FLAG DAY, WHICH IS NO POINT AND PICK FLAG DAY FOR THAT REFUND AT 3.30, IN THE AFTERNOON. ONE SHOW ONLY. THIS IS NOT. >> I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO FROM HERE, BUT YOU HAVE DONE A WONDERFUL, A WONDERFUL WORK HERE AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN STUDIO TODAY. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.