REMEMBERING THOSE WHO FOUGHT

Hallowed Grounds

 

With all the bad news in the world it’ll be nice for most of us to take an extended break from it all by going to the movies, going to the beach, spending time with family and watching TV – Indy 500, the season finales of Head Case and The Tudors and new shows like A&E’s Obsessed.

 

But, of course, this Memorial Day weekend is a time to honor the men and women who died in service to this country.

 

Many of the TV networks will have marathons and special programming, including a few that will focus on American war vets (or American wars).

 

Check out the Military Channel, John McCain hosting a weekend marathon on AMC and a few of the movie channels, like Encore Westerns.

 

But, perhaps the most touching and fitting tribute to war vets is Hallowed Grounds: America’s Overseas Military Cemeteries, a one-hour documentary premiering on Monday on PBS.

 

Hallowed focuses on little-known military cemeteries scattered throughout the world where American soldiers who died primarily in World War I and WWII are buried.

 

These cemeteries, mostly in Europe and Asia, are beautifully maintained by the American government.

 

The numbers of buried Americans is astounding – tens of thousands of soldiers from WWI and WWII are buried in these cemeteries, representing only a fraction of those who died, while many thousands more who went missing are honored with plaques.

 

Hallowed puts these gorgeous cemeteries on display, all are in stunning locations like a hill overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

 

In between, by recounting the battles that led to the soldiers’ deaths and by interviewing survivors, Hallowed sheds light on horrific periods in American history that sometimes seem in danger of fading from our thoughts.

 

Hallowed Grounds: America’s Overseas Military Cemeteries airs on most PBS stations on Monday at 10pm et/pt (check local listings).

 

Check out New & Noteworthy for a listing of this week’s new shows and specials.

 

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