Photo Gallery

The Making of THE VANISHING GENERATION

            In 2005 Amy Shumaker, Executive Producer of the new ETV series CAROLINA STORIES, approached me about making a documentary about the personal memories of World War II Veterans. She did not know that I had spent nearly 12 years at Barton County Community College recording and editing oral histories of World War II Veterans with Linda McCaffery. Since I had that experience I knew what I wanted to do, and what I didn’t want to do. Amy and I agreed that this documentary should not be a history lesson about the Second World War. I wasn’t looking for the veterans to list the places they visited, but talk about their experiences and how that affected them personally and emotionally. And I wanted to explore the questions; Why should we record these personal memories? Why should we remember World War II? I thought this was a significant time to ask these questions. We are losing thousands of World War II Veterans every day, and we will soon be at the point where there will be no more living histories from that time. That’s why I wanted to call the documentary THE VANISHING GENERATION.

                        Production started in December of 2005 and ended in May of 2006. About 15 World War II Veterans were interviewed, but in the end after a rough cut and an off-line edit, I could only use 10 veterans in the final program. Who ended up on the cutting room floor were difficult decisions to make, since each person had their own compelling story. But such intense and emotional stories by Tom Grove, C. “Buck” Wiley, and Murray Price set the standard for which personal memories to use.

            Not only did I want to use the interviews with the veterans, but go to some of the area museums and memorials to help illustrate the importance of remembering World War II. I chose three to use in the program: Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Charleston , South Carolina, The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, Georgia, and The Military Heritage Plaza at Clemson University. A highlight for me was returning to Patriots Point to film part of my documentary. Since shooting my 1992 student film JUDGMENT DAY, I had always wanted to go back and use that amazing location again. This time it was for a documentary and not a narrative film. It was a beautiful sunny day on February 8, 2006 when I arrived to Patriots Point to shoot an interview with David Burnette, Executive Director and the B-Roll of the ships and exhibits. I was also able to record a short interview with Don Ziglar, The U.S.S. Yorktown Quartermaster during World War II and a museum tour guide. He surprised me with some of the most memorable quotes and compelling stories about his experiences at the helm during the Japanese attacks on the Yorktown. Later I found out that Mr. Ziglar passed away about a month after I interviewed him, and I added to the end credits; “In Memory of Don Ziglar, U.S.S. Yorktown Quartermaster, and all of the World War II Veterans we have lost.”

South Carolina ETV presents

a Mark Adams film

THE VANISHING GENERATION

            Over 60 years ago, 16 million men and women from the United States including hundreds of thousands of men and women from South Carolina joined the rest of the nation in the Second World War. It changed their lives, and the world as well. The facts, such as the dates of the battles and important historical figures, can be found in textbooks.

            But the personal memories of World War II Veterans can give invaluable insight into why and how the war was fought, and the impact it had on those who experienced it. Over a thousand World War II Veterans are dying every day, and soon such important personal stories will be lost forever…unless we record them now.

            When the war ended, Four hundred thousand Americans including over four thousand South Carolinians never returned home from the battlefields around the world. Those who did return have spent over 60 years with the memories of what they experienced, while for the rest of society World War II has become just another chapter in a history book.

            How do we honor those who served, those who sacrificed, and those who are still with us today?

World War II

“World War II is the most important event of the 20^th Century. It changed everything.” - Patrick Maney, Chair, Department of History, University of South Carolina

“The Second World War was a war that is almost unparalleled in it’s cruelty in the history of the world.” - Jerry Reel, Senior Vice Provost & Clemson University Historian, Clemson University

Pearl Harbor

World War II Factoid: 2,403 Americans were killed as a result of the Japanese air attacks on Pearl Harbor .

“The Japanese were having a field day shooting airplanes because they didn’t have to look for them. They just came and strafed them right and left. And Hickham Field was burning real, real bad.” - Russell Meyne, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Irmo, South Carolina

“The ships started blowing up, started sinking. And we could see the sailors in the water…it was kind of sickening to look and see those guys…they were reaching down trying to pull guys from the water…(they’d) reach down and get an arm and pull it, and come away with all of the meat off of their arms. They had been burned…I had nightmares when I came back.” - Maj. C. “Buck” Wiley, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Columbia, South Carolina

Captured

World War II Factoid: Hundreds of Americans and Filipinos were murdered by Japanese soldiers when nearly 3,000 Allied prisoners of war were forced to walk 140 miles during the Bataan Death March.

“Those of us that didn’t give up came back, but there were a lot of bad days…I don’t have anything against the Japanese people as a whole, but I’ll never forgive the treatment by their military.” - Guy G. Wright, Prisoner Of War Survivor, Leesville, South Carolina

“Division of the Races…”

World War II Factoid: 16 million people served in the US military during World War II. Over 1 million of them were African-American.

“When I went into the army, that’s when we really saw the division of the races…we went to Europe, wound up in England …The British people were nice, but the (white) American troops, they weren’t nice at all. They told these people not to associate with us because of this, because of that…They took all of that from America all the way over there. I guess once it’s inside of you, you can’t get it out.” - Philip I. Perkins, Company C, Camp Upton, NY, Columbia, South Carolina

“The Second World War was fought with a segregated army. Racism was rampant. And there was a great paradox here as well. One of the reasons the United States was fighting that war was because of Hitler’s views on the Aryan race and white supremacy, and yet most white Americans (in the 1940’s) shared that belief…There was good and evil in the world, but also here at home.” - Patrick Maney, Chair, Department of History, University of South Carolina

“Boxer with a glass jaw…”

World War II Factoid: At the Battle of Midway, the United States lost 1 carrier, 1 destroyer, 147 planes and 307 men. Japan lost 4 carriers, 1 heavy cruiser, 253 planes and 2,300 men.

“An aircraft carrier, like (the U.S.S. Yorktown), is a heavy-weight boxer with a glass jaw. It’ll beat the Hell out of you, but if you hit it you hurt it bad. Everything on this ship burns, blows up, or does both.” - Don Ziglar, U.S.S. Yorktown Quartermaster, Charleston, South Carolina

“Oh my God, I’m a prisoner of war…”

World War II Factoid: 130,000 Americans were prisoners of war in World War II. 95,532 were held by Germany .

“The next thing I knew, (the Nazi soldiers) broke in the front door and started talking German to us. We had to put up our hands. We were captured and had to march out the front and down the street…We walked out that door and I can still remember like it was yesterday, I wish I could forget it. I said, ‘Oh my God, I’m a prisoner of war…’” - Tom Grove, Prisoner Of War Survivor, West Columbia, South Carolina

ONE MO’ TIME

World War II Factoid: By the end of World War II, 12,732 B-17’s were produced, and 4,735 were lost during combat missions.

“My radio operator kept a diary while we were flying and he wrote a book about our missions…we had a gunner that quit 34 times. Every time we’d get back on a mission he’d say, ‘I’m not going anymore! I’m not going with you anymore! You guys are going to get killed!’ But the next time we’d go to fly, he’d be out there, so that’s why we called (the book) ONE MO’ TIME.” - Russell Meyne, B-17 Pilot, Irmo, South Carolina

“Surreal…”

World War II Factoid: Assault on Iwo Jima : By March 26, 1945 when the island was secured, 19,000 Americans were wounded and 7,000 were killed. Only 216 of the 21,000 Japanese survived to be taken prisoner.

“To me, everything was sort of surreal…the fifth mission was over Iwo, and that was my real introduction to what war was really like…I’ll never forget this mission, of course, because I had a good friend get shot down…Fred Schneider and his crew…I’ll never forget hearing him over the radio yelling out, “Oh God, slow down and wait on me! I’ve been hit and my co-pilot’s hit too!’ Out of my peripheral vision I could see him. He was going down and smoking. In a few minutes he hit (the water) and boom! Ten men gone like that.” - Murray Price, B-24 Pilot, Lexington, South Carolina

Red Ball Express

World War II Factoid: Battle of the Bulge: December 16, 1944 to January 16, 1945. 76,890 Americans killed, wounded or missing. At it’s peak the Red Ball Express operated 5,958 vehicles and carried 12,342 tons of supplies.

“The Red Ball Express was given the task of going to the battlefield and collecting all the dead G.I. soldiers who were frozen (in the snow)…we would put them in the truck and convoy those all the way back to Cherbourg . That was almost worst than Pearl Harbor . That brought you down to Earth in touch with the dead and frozen.” - Maj. C. “Buck” Wiley, Red Ball Express, Columbia, South Carolina

Okinawa

World War II Factoid: Battle of Okinawa : April 1 to June 21, 1945. 12,500 Americans killed or missing, 36,600 wounded. 109,600 Japanese killed, 7,800 taken prisoner.

“There are the Japanese tanks, and the American tanks. And you would see one explode and you’d see the person trying to come out – both American and Japanese. And it was a fight to the finish. That was the real heart-rendering thing when I was on Okinawa …For years you wake up and it gets to you. It’s something you don’t ever want to happen again, but we do. Well, I’m anti-war.” - Tee Senn, Cryptologist, Clemson, South Carolina

“On May 11, 1945 – this was the last big blast of kamikazes…on that day they threw everything they had left…we were attacked by 156 planes, and one of the destroyers set a record for the war; shot down 23 planes in 23 minutes…in the midst of this uproar a signalman friend of mine stuck his head in the door – why I was responsible, I don’t know. He looked at me and said, ‘Moore, you S.O.B.! If I ever get back to New England I’m never gonna leave it again!” I seemed to be responsible for what was going on.” - John Hammond Moore , LSM-R 193, Columbia, South Carolina

Liberated

World War II Factoid: Germany surrenders unconditionally to Allies and Russia on May 7, 1945. World War II officially ended at 9:04 a.m. on September 2, 1945 when the Japanese Foreign Minister and military leaders signed the surrender papers on the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay .

“When we were in this second prison camp deep in Germany, Stalag 9-B, we would hear bombing way off in the distance…I’ll never forget, it was Easter Sunday, 1945, and we just knew it was the end…and Easter Monday morning, it was the greatest day. The American tanks came in, and knocked over the fences, the towers. And we were delivered.” - Tom Grove, Prisoner Of War Survivor, Columbia, South Carolina

Grand Marshall

“Oh, man, I’m telling you, I was walking on cloud nine. To pick me, a poor little First Lieutenant, and let me be the Grand Marshall (of the Victory in Europe Parade in Luxembourg , Germany ) - That was some honor, I can tell you. I brought back bragging rights when I came back to the States.”  - Maj. C. “Buck” Wiley, Grand Marshall, V-E Parade in Luxembourg, Germany, Columbia, South Carolina

Remembering The Vanishing Generation

“It’s been 60 years since the end of the war and that generation is very rapidly leaving us. When we lose a generation we lose an important tie to the past, but this is particularly significant because you’re talking about the most single important event in world history in the 20^th Century…so it is a vanishing generation, but it is a generation that we need to preserve as much of, in terms of recollections, as possible.” - Patrick Maney, Chair, Department of History, University of South Carolina

World War II Factoid: (Patriots Point) U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-10) earned 11 Battle Stars and the Presidential Unit Citation during World War II. Formally dedicated as a memorial on the 200^th Anniversary of the Navy: October 13, 1975

“I think that anybody who is a student of history understands that the term ‘Greatest Generation’ is not a misnomer. It was an unbelievable feat that we accomplished (in World War II). And as we all know, we are in the process of losing that generation…we have decided with the U.S.S. Yorktown (aircraft carrier) to feature her World War II history, because that, to us, is the most important story to tell, the most compelling story to tell, to remind future generations of what has to be done to preserve freedom.” - David Burnette, Executive Director, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

World War II Factoid: ( Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum ) Eighth Air Force suffered 47,000 casualties in World War II, with over 26,000 dead and 28,000 who became prisoners of war.

  Awarded to the Eighth Air Force personnel during World War II: 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, 442,000 Air Medals and 261 fighter aces

“I think everybody should sit down and record your life. Now you may think that your life is not interesting. That’s a bunch of crap! Everybody’s life is interesting.” - Bud Porter, B-17 Ball Turret Gunner, Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum Docent, Hilton Head, South Carolina

World War II Factoid: ( Clemson University ’s Military Heritage Plaza ) The Military Heritage Plaza on Bowman Field at Clemson University was dedicated on June 8, 1996.

Heroes

“I am convinced, and I know I’m right; there are no heroes. The only heroes I can think of are under the white crosses. The fact that I’m here, or any of us survived, is I’m lucky. That’s all.” - Bud Porter, B-17 Ball Turret Gunner, Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum Docent, Hilton Head, South Carolina

“I’m not a coward, but I’m not the hero like that guy in the Marine Corps, or those guys on Okinawa – now those are heroes. I could have gotten killed many times, but they got killed. The heroes are dead.” - Tee Senn, Cryptologist, Clemson, South Carolina

“I survived it. So I’m not a hero. I’m a survivor.” - Tom Grove, Prisoner Of War Survivor, Columbia, South Carolina

THE VANISHING GENERATION

Written, Produced, Directed & Edited by

Mark Adams

Narrator

Jim Seay

Videographers

Mark Adams

Lynn Cornfoot

Xavier Blake

EFP Crew

Titus Davis

Rebecca Ferrara

Production Assistants

Blake Garris

Audrey Muck

Kissa Craig

On-Line Editor

Elaine Cooper

Production Manager

Keith Galloway

Executive Producer

Amy Shumaker

Sr. Vice President of Broadcasting

Tom Fowler

CEO and President of ETV

Moss Bresnahan

World War II photographs and footage provided by

Newsfilm Archives, University of South Carolina

National Archives

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum

Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

Clemson University

Special thanks to

David Burnette and Jim McElroy

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Dr. Walter Brown and Tim Bottoms

Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

Pooler, Georgia

Patrick Maney

University of South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina

Jerry Reel,

Clemson Fighting Tiger Battalion, Army ROTC

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina

Sanford Adams

In memory of

Don Ziglar

U.S.S. Yorktown Quartermaster

and all of the World War II Veterans we have lost

 Responses to THE VANISHING GENERATION:

 “Fantastic program! Thanks for your great work. A terrific Carolina Stories.” – Maurice “Moss” Bresnahan, President & CEO, South Carolina ETV

“Just finished watching the SCETV production of Carolina Stories – The Vanishing Generation which aired last night. All the people involved in the project are to be commended for what I consider one of the best programs on World War II I have seen. From start to finish, it was an outstanding production capturing the emotions expressed by the veterans and editing into a moving tribute to all those who wore the uniform during the war.  All of us in South Carolina knew someone who was a WW II vet. They are our parents, uncles and aunts, cousins, brothers and sisters and neighbors who became our teachers, bosses and leaders. I feel your program was a fitting tribute to those veterans. Tell everyone involved they did an outstanding job.” – Phillip Purvis

“Dad wanted me to thank you…we all thought it was great and everyone who watched it has had the same reaction. You did a remarkable job and are to be commended! Also, everyone that I have spoken with got a little choked up towards the end and that is to be expected…They are truly ‘The Greatest Generation’ and thanks to people like you they are staying ‘Alive!’ Thanks again, Mark, for a JOB WELL DONE!!!” – David L. Senn, son of Tee Senn

  “Thanks so much for the fantastic documentary on ‘The Vanishing Generation’. My father, Major C.B. was one of the veterans you interviewed. It was great! The way you interspersed the video with the stories was phenomenal. This is an award-winning video and will definitely be passed on to ‘Future Generations’ in our family. May God richly bless you!” – Marvin Wiley, son of Maj. C. “Buck” Wiley

“Your ‘Vanishing Generation’ was awesome. I had seen many SCETV produced features, and yours shocked me with it’s professionalism and style and the emotional sensitivity you showed in the editing, and it even exceeded the lofty standards usually observed with ETV productions. My hats off to you for a job extremely well done.” – David P. Burnette, Executive Director, Patriots Point Development Authority & Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum

THE VANISHING GENERATION was a finalist at

The 2007 Beaufort Film Festival

The 2007 Asheville Film Festival