In this programe we examine the background to the campaign with a leading American historian before following the advance of one of Hitler's most successful panzer commanders, Hasso von Manteuffel, Fifth Panzer Army. We will travel in wintery conditions from the German border into the lightly held US front line. From the outset small groups of GIs did their best to delay the advance of the panzers, buying time for the vital crossroad town of Bastogne to be reinforced by 101st US Airborne Division. Under the cloak of bad weather, the Germans initially advanced successfully but more slowly than planned However, Germany's chronic lack of fuel hamstrung the advance. The British XXX Corps deployed to the River Meuse amidst controversy over Montgomery's role and injudicious words but the panzer spearheads were halted short of the river as the skies cleared and the feared fighter bombers returned.
Himself - Presenter and Veteran
Himself - Presenter
Himself - Presenter
Himself - Presenter
Himself - Presenter
During Japan's invasion of the Philippines in 1942, Capt. Henry Lassiter, Sgt. Bill Dane and a diverse group of American soldiers are ordered to destroy and hold a strategic bridge in order to delay the Japanese forces and allow Gen. MacArthur time to secure Bataan. When the Japanese soldiers begin to rebuild the bridge and advance, the group struggles with not only hunger, sickness and gunfire, but also the knowledge that there is likely no relief on the way.
"Ultimate Sacrifices" tells the inspiring and tragic story of Captain Jennifer Moreno, a U.S. Army nurse and member of the elite Cultural Support Team in Afghanistan. A top marksman and leader in San Diego High School's JROTC program, Moreno rose to prominence as a warrior, bridging cultural divides during dangerous combat missions. Her bravery and sacrifice during a 2013 raid, where she lost her life while aiding a fallen Army Ranger, highlight her extraordinary courage and dedication to service. This film honors her life, from her humble beginnings to her enduring legacy, showcasing the valor of Mexican immigrants.
A former U.S. Air Force air tanker navigator, Lt. Col. Ken Murray’s career takes us from the horrific accident that killed 70 people at an airshow demonstration to Operation Just Cause in Panama and to the Iraq War. Through it all, we experience air operations, post-deployment divorce, a new career as a famed sports photographer and new loves.
The unsolved rape, mutilation and murder of young G.I. Darlene Krashoc has haunted Joe Kenda in the years since he turned in his gun and badge. Until a crack team of cold case cops uses Kenda’s groundwork to set a trap for a monster hiding in plain sight.
West Point graduate lieutenant Jeff Knight meets cynicism when taking command of sergeant Michael McNamara's tour veterans platoon in a Vietnamese trench camp. Unlike his predecessor, who hid till the end of his tour, Jeff takes charge, experiences the manual doesn't allow coping with all realities and gets wounded. He returns, now fully respect by men and superiors. Besides the Vietcong, the platoon wrestles with the inscrutable villagers, which the G.I.'s officially protect, but also fear as some collaborate with them, other covertly with the Cong, either way subject to bloody reprisals.
After ex-NFL star turned soldier Pat Tillman's death is covered up by the U.S. Army, Rory Fanning is discharged from the Army for resisting a second combat tour. Back home, he walks across the country while studying the history of war resistors.
A trio of soldiers vow revenge on their platoon when they are left behind enemy lines. When they come across a missing contingent in a Vietnamese village, alliances dissolve and each step forward will come with a price.
Jack Kelley volunteered for Vietnam. As an army captain, he routinely led his company of 140 men on patrols in the jungles near Biên Hòa. Ill-conceived orders came down from higher command: On June 29, 1966, Capt. Kelley was to spread his platoons 1,000 meters apart in order to cover more area while looking for Vietcong forces. During the patrol, the 3rd platoon stumbled upon an embedded Vietcong main force battalion. Outnumbered by nearly 10 to 1, the platoon was blindsided by a fierce attack. The triple-canopy jungle was dense and the terrain muddy, making rescue all but impossible. The film is a journey to understand what the filmmaker's father and seven survivors went through in 1966, and what they continue to go through today. Some volunteered for the army as teenagers. Others were drafted. Some went back to Vietnam years later with the hope of finding closure and peace.
Bravery, compassion and the will to save lives motivated the young Nurse Helen Fairchild to leave home in Pennsylvania and embark on a journey to Europe, where she served as a surgical nurse during World War I before dying on the front lines.
Casey Conklin joined the 3rd Ranger Battalion as a medic, because he always believed they were the toughest group around. After his experience in the Battle of Mosul in Iraq and receiving his Ranger tab, he doesn't question how tough he is. After returning home, he finds that he still must challenge himself to stay healthy and redefine toughness at home.
PFC Benjamin Tollefson was killed in action during Operation: Iraqi Freedom. His mother tells the story he never got a chance to share.
Vanessa Guillen was 20 years old when she was found murdered at a US Army base. Rather than submit to silence, her family fought for justice and change.
In WWII, a squad of U.S. African-American soldiers are sent on a rescue mission behind enemy lines to locate their lost commanding officer and a downed fighter pilot.
Meet Aunt Yang-hee, who has lived as a woman in a camp village. Several voices are heard around the base village, which is serving as a warehouse for American men by the ROK-U.S. alliance. But buried in those voices, it was difficult to hear the voices of the women in the camp village.
Relying on newly discovered archival footage, memoirs from the fallen, and expert commentary from scholars, this documentary tells the story of World War I from the American perspective: Its ace pilots, mine-laying Sailors, heroic doughboys, Harlem Hell Fighters, and courageous nurses.
The story of the last months of the 20-year war in Afghanistan through the intimate relationship between American Green Berets and the Afghan officers they trained.
American and Japanese soldiers, stranded on a tiny Pacific island during World War II, must make a temporary truce and cooperate to survive various tribulations. Told through the eyes of the American and Japanese unit commanders, who must deal with an atmosphere of growing distrust and tension between their men.
Following on from the story of Hell's Highway, the series reaches the battle to seize the great Bridges over two of Europe's largest water ways; the Maas and the Waal at Nijmegen. Here the 82nd US airborne were, as elsewhere, denied coup de main attacks to seize the bridges by the air commanders. While the Grave Bridge was captured, confusion in US orders meant that the barely defended bridge in Nijmegen was only attacked when the Germans had taken the opportunity to reinforce the garrison. The resulting battle to regain control of the situation is an epic of Anglo-American military history. This programme tells the story of the amazing courage of the American and British soldiers who won this battle against desperate odds.
On April 18th, 1906, San Francisco witnessed its most devastating natural disaster – an earthquake that initiated a city-wide fire. The commanding officer of the U.S. Army base at the Presidio, Fred Funston, gathered citizens to fight the fire, patrol the streets, and rebuild the city – all without authorization.
African American soldiers throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries faced discrimination and segregation, yet many still chose to fight for their country.