Collection:LPB

Genre: Documentary

Place Covered: Louisiana, France

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority, Vanguard Productions

Date Issued: 1994-06-14

Duration: 00:57:35

Subjects: World War II | Military | Veterans | D-DAY | Higgins Industries | World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- France -- Normandy

Contributors:

• Elder, Bill Narrator
• Baker, Diana Producer
• McDonnell, Joseph T., III Photographer
• Allen, Gary Associate Producer
• Juge, Lydia Ann Associate Producer
• Ambrose, Stephen Interviewee
• Churchill, Winston Speaker
• Roosevelt, Franklin D. Speaker
• Donnley, Edna Plaisance Interviewee
• Maurin, Peggy Interviewee
• Frey, Louis Interviewee
• Rabalais, Murray Interviewee
• Gorden, Walter Interviewee
• Brooks, J. Dodd Interviewee
• O'Neill, Robert Interviewee
• Authement, Bruce Interviewee
• Authement, Eugene Interviewee
• Laborde, Lucien Interviewee
• McCann, Tom Interviewee
• Koenig, Harvey Interviewee
• Clinton, Bill Speaker
• Perrett, Marvin Interviewee
• Whalen, Ed Interviewee
• Hart, Mary P. Interviewee
• Thomas, Frances Interviewee

A 1994 documentary commemorating the 50th anniversary of D-Day. The first half of this documentary features Louisiana World War II veterans recounting their first-hand experiences of the Allied invasion in Normandy, France: Louis Frey, Murray Rabalais, and Walter Gorden of the 101st Airborne; Robert O’Neill of the 9th Air Force; Bruce Authement and Eugene Authement of the 111th Sea Bees Batallion; Lucien Laborde of the 29th Infantry Division; Thomas McCann of the 1st Infantry Division; and Harvey Koenig of the 2nd Ranger Batallion. This section also includes interviews with Edna Plaisance Donnley and Peggy Marin, two women who worked at Higgin Industries in New Orleans building the boats used during the Normandy invasion. The second half of this documentary follows Louisiana veterans as they take part in the festivities surrounding the 50th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. It includes: Marvin Perrett of the Coast Guard visiting Utah Beach; Ed Whalen of the 82nd Airborne watching paratroopers jump from planes; Robert O’Neill visiting the French village where his plane went down in the weeks following D-Day; Thomas McCann of the 1st Infantry Division searching for the graves of his fallen comrades at the cemetery; Frances Thomas of the 29th Infantry Division marching in a parade in a small town in France; and Lucien Laborde of the 29th Infantry Division visiting Omaha Beach with his family. This documentary also includes an interview with historian Stephen Ambrose on the significance of D-Day and highlights from President Bill Clinton’s speech honoring the veterans at the 50th anniversary ceremony in Normandy, France. Narrator: Bill Elder