Posted: Friday, December 2, 2016

A documentary series for WNIN public television made by two UE professors will have its broadcast premiere on December 7 at 8:00 p.m. on WNIN channel 9. The second episode will air December 8 at 8:00 p.m. The series was directed by Joe Atkinson of the department of communication and written by James MacLeod of the department of history.

The series features interviews with over 40 people, most of whom were living in Evansville during World War II.

"It was a quite incredible experience to speak to these people," said Atkinson. "We were not sure how many we would manage to find, but my phone was ringing every day and we met some marvelous individuals."

Each episode lasts for one hour and covers the wide range of manufacturing in the city during the war as well as entertainment, rationing, fundraising, housing, and many other topics.

"What really struck us was how much the war affected your everyday life," MacLeod said."85,000 people were employed in war industry, but every man, woman and child in Evansville was aware that there was a war going on, every single day. It was, in a very real sense, total war."

The series will also be shown as a movie at the Showplace East on December 1 and 4.

You can view the documentary's trailer on YouTube.

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