Memorial Day

An Interview with Ossie Davis: Host of the 2003 National Memorial Day Concert

Did you know? Some interesting facts about Korea: The Forgotten War

Courageous Gold Star Mothers: Mothers seek peace of mind in pilgrimage to Vietnam

Take our Memorial Day Quiz

Special programs on TV12 honor America's veterans, past and present
Compiled by Kate Stainbrook

On Monday, May 26, we will pause to remember the brave Americans who have fought, and those who have given their lives, in defense of freedom around the world.

This year's celebration will be especially poignant as the country pays tribute to the men and women who fought to bring freedom to the Iraqi people. WHYY is presenting several programs on TV12 that honor the sacrifices of all of our country's veterans.

Saturday, May 24

The Perilous Fight: America's World War II in Color Martin Sheen narrates this extraordinary four-hour series, which brings to life America's World War II experience, on the battlefield and on the homefront.

The program combines vivid color film footage, much of it never publicly screened before, with compelling passages from diaries and letters written by individuals who were a part of this unforgettable period to tell the story of how Americans faced history's greatest armed conflict. 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 25

The Tuskegee Airmen During World War II, a group of African-American aviators were the first within the segregated U.S. military to prove that blacks could indeed fly in combat. The program reunites 10 of the original airmen at the airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama where they began their incredible careers and opened the field of aviation to African-Americans. 6 p.m.

The Last Reunion: A Gathering of Heroes Pilots from the 352nd Fighter Group, ordinary men who became heroes during World War II, come together for the final time in this poignant program. Their dramatic story is told through film footage captured by cameras mounted on their planes, which demonstrates their extreme bravery in battling the enemy high above the earth. 7 p.m.

National Memorial Day Concert Actor and World War II veteran Ossie Davis hosts the annual Memorial Day concert from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Distinguished actor and decorated World War II veteran Charles Durning; actress and civil rights activist Ruby Dee; opera star Renee Fleming; actor Joe Mantegna; and actor and World War II veteran Tony Randall are among those who will join in this year's tribute to the thousands of veterans who served, and those who continue to serve, in the nation's military forces and to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

The concert will also honor the heroes and victims of September 11 and will include two special tributes marking significant anniversaries in the nation's military history -- the 50th anniversary of the signing of the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War, and the start of the Vietnam War, which began its build-up 40 years ago. 8 p.m.

West Point Graduates of the United States Military Academy have led the way in every major land battle from the Civil War to the Gulf War and continue to defend our nation in wartime.

This program examines the distinguished history of West Point, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2002, going inside the academy's hallowed halls to examine its crucial role in history while examining the many trials that have tested the school and also celebrating its grand legacy. 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 28

Berga: Soldiers of Another War Shot entirely in black and white, this final film by Academy Award-winning documentarian Charles Guggenheim reveals the little-known story of atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis against 350 American POWs, who were "classified" as Jewish upon their capture during the Battle of the Bulge.

Survivors and eyewitnesses tell the harrowing stories of those forced into slave labor at Berga, a satellite of the notorious Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald. 8 p.m.