Need WWII info

[Scoutfish]

I have a question for you. I need some references or site names.library books or videos of WWII veterans talking about their experiences in the war.

 

WEll, let me be a bit more clear: I need stories that are appropriate for a 9 year old.

 

See, in the last few months,my son was given a WWII era video game..meaning the time line of the game was WWII.

 

At first it was just another game. then a favorite, but then, he got curious. He started asking questions about WWII. He started asking to go to Book-a-Million and Barns and Nobel to buy WWII books.

 

Now, he actualy like to hear the stories in the Vets own words. He can listed for hours as the guys recall the camradierie and brotherhood of units. He understands it isn't all glam like the game show and also knows the horros ( as well as a 9 year old can understand that is).

But he genuinely listens and enjoys them.

 

I hate that it took me 30 years to be the same way: enjoy listening to the older generation tell their tales.

 

Anyway, if you know of any age appropriate videos, books or what not, please let me know.

 

PBS just doesn't crank them out fast enough!

[Eagle92]

If you can make it, go to the USS NORTH CAROLINA'S Living History weekend in March and October. While not talking to WWII vets, you may be talking to Vietnam and later vets, trust me they dodo ALOT of research and interviews. Long story short they WILL tell you like it was.

 

Also if possible go to the NC state archives and talk to Col. Cy Harrington (sp) he is the military archivist, and oneof his projects is collecting oral histories from ALL NC vets. In fact one local Eagle did his project collecting 30+ oral histories

 

Also visit your local library, you may be surprised at how much WWII material they have. Mine has an Aisle full of WWII materials, which surprised me greatly. Only problem is that as soon as I finish a batch of my WWII or Korean War books, I get another batch

 

Now grant you I don't know much about children's lit in the area, my focus was grad school related, but I'd read the books first just to check on language.

 

ALSO if you are going to the Kinston Regional Jamboree and CS Family Camp in April, there may, stressing MAY be reenactors there.

[Scoutfish]

THANKS! I really appreciate it. I have been to the USS North Carolina no less that 9 times, 2 with my son. Each and every time I go, one old area is closed off for restoration, but another one is open.

I'll try those weekends though.

 

Not sure about Jambo. To be honest, as a fairly new scouter and new this year ADL, Today is the first I heard of it.

I have no idea what to expect...time, cost, need to stay over night, requirements, pre register?

Let me a know and maybe my son and I will attenda nd possibly meet you there!

 

I live less trhan an hour and a half from Kinston.(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[le Voyageur]

 

 

For video's/cd's Victory at Sea

 

[John-in-KC]

Two sites:

 

http://www.corregidor.org ... history of our stand in the Phillipines in 1942. You may want to pre-surf.

 

http://www.lindavdahl.com/ Linda is the chronicler of the camp where my was held as a PW on Kyushu: Fukuoka 17, where Baron Mitsui used Allied PWs as slave labor. Again, you may want to pre-surf.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[Hal_Crawford]

Check out Ken Burns, The War on PBS.

 

http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=2784345

 

This may be available at your public library. I am not sure about the age appropriateness of this so you may want to preview it to make up your own mind.

 

Listening to live vets is even better. Try putting the word out through your cub pack and school to see who has a grandfather who parachuted into Normandy or a great uncle that fought at Guadalcanal. Some of our scouts had the privilege of listening to a former Ranger who had scaled the cliffs at Point du Hoc on D-Day. Seems that a lot of WW2 vets became scouters so look around in your district or council. We had an Eagle adviser (recently deceased) who was a Pearl Harbor vet. You might try placing a call to local VFW or American Legion maybe they have a member or two who would love to share his memories with some eager Cub Scouts (and their dads).

 

Good luck.

Hal

[Apache Bob]

Contact your local American Legion Post and the VFW. There are probably WWII veterans living within a mile or two of you that you don't even know exist. Most will be glad to talk to you and your son.

[Scoutfish]

Hal, Ken Burns...saw it...loved it! That is actually the series that got my son interested. Just like me, hearing the actual vets talk was the best part. Their words.

 

Funny isn't it that it took me 30 years to appreciate something like that. At least my son has a 30 year head start on me!

[Eagle92]

Scoutfish,

In reference to the Regional Jambo and CS Family Campout, www.eccbsa.org is the East Carolina Council's homepage that has the info. BE ADVISED that the book is constantly being updated as things get finalized. I am helping out on the CS side of things. Cost is approx $15/person, with a max of $30 per CS family. Meal tickets are extra, estimated $7-10 range, and are only available for staff and CSs, Scouts and Venturers not on staff cook their own meals. Yep CS and their families have an option on cooking or not.

 

 

BAck to the OP

 

Another option would be to visit museums and talk to the folks there. Most staffers i've met are really knowldgable about their collection and have stories to tell. I worked at the USS KIDD DD661 in Baton Rouge, LA (the "most authentically restored ship" in the Historic Naval Ships Association fleet) while in grad school, and can tell you all of the staff knew their stuff. Heck we had to take a written test just to be able to to do an oral presentation with trainer to aprove us for tours. Anyway best part of the job was listening to the Vets at the reunions and listening to their stories. Man I wish I had a tape recorder. And yes I and others did use some of the stories to add a little flavor to the tours, esp my overnite tours when there was no time rush. two favorite stores was how to make "Torpedo Juice" and how the destroyer go their ice cream machine aboard ship and their supply of ice cream mix. KIDD wasn't known as the 'Pirate of the Pacific" for nothing

[Scoutfish]

FIGURES! Our Pack Family Spring campout and crossover ceremony falls on that weekend. I'm also going to be teaching that weekend too.(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[Eagle92]

Talk to the pack leadership as this will be a "Don't Want To Miss It" event.

[SctDad]

Scoutfish

 

This is supposed to be a VERY LARGE EVENT. Myself and Eagle are on a planning committee for the CS portion of this event. It may even be something that your whole pack may want to attend.

 

As for the USS NC. We went to the Battleship alive last year. The next one is the on May 1st. Great event, we had a blast. There is even a picture of me sitting in the captains chair.

[GKlose]

My 13-yr-old is in a similar circumstance. I suppose it started when we were both watching "Mail Call" with R. Lee Ermey, and he was about 9 yrs old. He started to watch programs on the History Channel and the Military Channel. He saw snippets of Burns' "The War" when it originally ran. Since then, he's branched out a little. He read "Band of Brothers" (by Stephen Ambrose) for summer reading last year, and he has since read a few books on WWI and WWII. Lately he's been watching R. Lee Ermey's new show, "Lock and Load".

 

He knows that the "Band of Brothers" "creative team" has a new series, "The Pacific" coming this March to HBO. I'm guessing that it will be a bit on the graphic side, but at this point I think he'll be able to handle it.

 

I've been reading a few other Ambrose books myself -- in the last couple of years, I've read "The Wild Blue" (about bomber pilots, but mostly about George McGovern -- that book is pretty simple to get through), "D-Day" (a very detailed book), and "Citizen Soldier" (also very detailed, but there are good sections on medics, prisoners of war, and things like that).

 

Just before Christmas, in the gift shop of a Cracker Barrel restaurant, I found a DVD set of the complete "Victory at Sea" series for $9.99. We haven't watched that yet.

 

Awhile back, I found a documentary put out by Spielberg's Shoah Foundation called "The Last Days". I highly recommend it. You can also see interviews of survivors on the Shoah Foundation website (the mission of the foundation is to record oral histories of survivors).

 

Guy

 

Maybe it's because the WWII generation is slowly

 

[Eagle92]

Ambrose was an excellent author, one I wished I would have studied under. However I did study under one of his proteges.

Recoomend anything written by Ambrose, but again be wary of language. However I did study under one of his proteges.

 

Also one of the soldiers in Band of Brothers, sorry forgot the guy's name ( Beleive it's Webster) but he was the Ivy Leaguer serving as a private, has an excellent account of his experiences published.

 

Also if he is into the navy, I recommend a destroyer video that came out about 7 years ago. The programers spent several days at the KIDD, taking photos and talkign to staff, including 1 vet who served aboard the KIDD, to create the game. Also check out History Channel's Fletcher Class Destoryers program, again filmed at teh KIDD.

 

 

[ghermanno]

History channel has some at this site: http://www.history.com/content/dearhome/letters-from-wwii

 

YiS,

 

Rick