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Liberty Peralta
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PBS Hawai‘i dedicates three nights to Pearl Harbor, WWII stories
HONOLULU, HI – PBS Hawai‘i is dedicating its primetime schedule Dec. 5-7 to documentaries and television specials related to Pearl Harbor and World War II.
The lineup begins Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 pm with an encore of Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox featuring Daniel Martinez, Chief Historian at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor.
A new documentary presented nationally by PBS Hawai‘i premieres Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 8:00 pm. Journey Home to the USS Arizona follows a family of a Pearl Harbor survivor as they travel from New Jersey to the USS Arizona Memorial to place his ashes at its final resting place. Afterward at 9:00 pm, PBS Hawai‘i presents its broadcast premiere of Lt. Onoda’s Return: The Untold Story of a Japanese War Straggler, a special from NHK about a Japanese Imperial Army officer who lived in the jungles of the Philippines as a war straggler for 30 years after Japan’s surrender.
The lineup culminates Thursday, Dec. 7 with a focus on Japanese American contributions to the war effort. Live at 8:00 pm, Insights on PBS Hawai‘i will discuss the legacy of the 100th Infantry Battalion (“One-Puka-Puka”), followed by the broadcast premiere of Proof of Loyalty: Kazuo Yamane and the Nisei Soldiers of Hawai‘i at 9:00 pm.
STORIES FROM PEARL HARBOR AND WORLD WAR II ON PBS HAWAI‘I
Tuesday, December 5
Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox
Daniel Martinez 7:30 pm
As Chief Historian at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Daniel Martinez has heard stories from the survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor and shares those stories with visitors. In this conversation, hear how his connection with that infamous event goes deeper than his role as a historian. Originally broadcast December 2014
Remember Pearl Harbor 8:00 pm
Narrated by actor Tom Selleck, this documentary features first-person accounts from more than 35 veterans and Hawaii residents who witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. Mitsuo Fuchida, the chief commander behind Japan’s attack, is also interviewed. Using archival footage, photos and graphics, the documentary details the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hickam Field and other parts of O‘ahu. Originally broadcast December 2016
Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox
Jimmy Lee 9:30 pm
Jimmy Lee, who lived on his family’s farm a mile from the waters of Pearl Harbor, was only 11 years old on December 7, 1941. He shares memories of making eye contact with a Japan bomber pilot who flew over the farm, and of watching ships burn in Pearl Harbor. He describes what life was like in the Islands under martial law, and recounts his decades-long search for a best friend whose family vanished from his neighborhood after the attack. Originally broadcast December 2016
Wednesday, December 6
Journey Home to the USS Arizona 8:00 pm
One of the few crew members from the USS Arizona who survived the Pearl Harbor attack, Raymond Haerry Sr., passed away at the age of 94 on September 27, 2016. This new documentary follows Haerry’s family as they travel from New Jersey to O‘ahu to place his ashes aboard the sunken battleship – Haerry’s final resting place. PBS Hawai‘i premiere broadcast
Lt. Onoda’s Return: The Untold Story of a Japanese War Straggler 9:00 pm
In December 1944, intelligence officer Hiroo Onoda of the Japanese Imperial Army was deployed to Lubang Island in the Philippines, where he was given orders to disrupt and sabotage enemy efforts. Though the Japanese surrendered on August 15, 1945, Onoda and three others vowed to continue this mission. After 30 years of living as a war straggler, Onoda surrendered to his ex-commander and received a hero’s welcome upon returning to his homeland. However, Japan and the Philippines saw Onoda’s return as a sensitive political and diplomatic matter that required careful orchestration. PBS Hawai‘i premiere broadcast
Road to Redemption 10:00 pm
Mitsuo Fuchida was the chief commander behind Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Jacob DeShazer was a U.S. Army Air Force corporal who dropped incendiary bombs on Nagoya in a revenge raid. After World War II, both men became devout Christians and embarked on missions in each other’s homeland, where they worked to spread a message of forgiveness. Originally broadcast December 2016
Thursday, December 7
A Tribute to One-Puka-Puka 8:00 pm LIVE
The legacy of the 100th Infantry Battalion, nicknamed “One-Puka-Puka,” continues to this day. The battalion, formed during World War II, was initially made up largely of Nisei (second-generation) Japanese Americans from Hawai‘i. After WWII, the battalion was mobilized during the Korean, Vietnam and Iraq wars. Today, the Hawaii-based battalion is the only infantry unit in the U.S. Army Reserve, with additional units on American Samoa, Guam and Saipan. Historians, veterans and several past and present service members of the 100th Infantry Battalion join us on Insights for this live conversation, which will also be streamed on pbshawaii.org and PBS Hawai‘i’s Facebook page. PBS Hawai‘i live broadcast
Proof of Loyalty: Kazuo Yamane and the Nisei Soldiers of Hawai‘i 9:00 pm
Kazuo Yamane, a Nisei Japanese American from Hawai‘i, played a crucial strategic role in WWII. Drafted just before the war, Yamane became a part of the 100th Infantry Battalion. He was plucked from their ranks for his exceptional knowledge of the Japanese language, which would lead him to the Pentagon and to Europe, where he served under President Eisenhower. Yamane would eventually use his language skills to help shorten the war in the Pacific. PBS Hawai‘i premiere broadcast
PBS Hawai‘i is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization and Hawai‘i’s sole member of the trusted Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). We advance learning and discovery through storytelling that profoundly touches people’s lives. We bring the world to Hawai‘i and Hawai‘i to the world. pbshawaii.org | facebook.com/pbshawaii | @pbshawaii