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VETERAN'S DAY SPECIAL:
THE WORLD WAR ONE 
LIVING HISTORY PROJECT 
with Walter Cronkite
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 TOTAL LENGTH: 58:00 x 2 (1:56:00)

PLEASE NOTE: A VERSION OF THIS PROGRAM WITH A 3:00 NEWSHOLE IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON PRX WEBSITE UNDER “WORLD WAR ONE LIVING HISTORY PROJECT W/NEWSHOLE.”
 
DESCRIPTION:
In 1917-1918, 4.5 million Americans served in World War One. Of that number only 14 remain.

The "WWI Living History Project" honors the sacrifices and contributions of America's last surviving WWI veterans. The producers have travelled the country in search of the men and women who made the world (in President Wilson's words) "safe for democracy." Twelve of these veterans, aged 105 to 115, share their reminiscences, humor and wit on a two-hour radio special hosted by award-winning CBS anchor Walter Cronkite.

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RUNDOWN:
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* HOUR ONE *

Segment A - 00:00 - 27:30 
 (MUSIC FADE IN)
 OPEN CUE: (Cronkite) "Imagine, if you will, a long ..." 
 CLOSE CUE: "...Living History Project."
MUSIC BREAK: :30

Segment B - 28:00 - 58:00
 OPEN CUE: "Coming up, an unprepared America ..."
 CLOSE CUE: "This has been a creation of Treehouse Productions."
 (MUSIC FADE OUT)

•	HOUR TWO *
•	
Segment A - 00:00 - 28:00
 (MUSIC FADE IN) 
OPEN CUE: "He put the bayonnet up against ..." 
CLOSE CUE: " ... War One Living History Project continues."
MUSIC BREAK: :30
Segment B - 28:30 - 58:00 
OPEN CUE: "This is Will Everett, with the conclusion ..."
 CLOSE CUE: "This has been a creation of Treehouse Productions."
 (MUSIC FADE OUT)

 DETAILS:

HOUR ONE

The program begins with a 20-minute introduction to the events of 1914-1917, narrated by Walter Cronkite. It explores the political circumstances that precipitated the outbreak of war, and the advances in communication, armaments and transportation which led to an acceleration of hostilities far beyond the known bounds of continental warfare in Europe. The war went quickly from the drawing-rooms of the European aristocracy to the trenches, where the armies of Europe became enmeshed in a conflict in which the prevailing military strategy was to relentlessly deplete the manpower of the opposing army. With the help of machine guns and larger and more accurate artilery, lives were consumed more quickly than the recruitment offices at home could replenish them. This slow, arduous method of waging war led only to a stalemate between the Allies (Russia, France and Great Britain) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Serbia).

President Woodrow Wilson maintained a firm policy of neutrality throughout the first three years of the war, advocating for "peace without victory." But with American arms and supplies pouring into Great Britain, Germany implemented a policy of unlimited submarine warfare in the spring of 1917. Moreover, it was revealled that Germany was secretly attempting to negotiate terms for a military alliance with Mexico, promising Mexico the return of lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California in exchange for military assistance. These two factors, representing a threat to American interests, promted the U.S. Congress to declare war on Germany on April 17, 1917.

This first 28-minute background segment is articulated through a combination of scripted narrative, recordings of period speeches, and short first-person accounts read by professional voice talent. The subsequent 30-minute segment incorporates the first-person experiences of the 12 veterans as they pertain to the events of 1917-1918. Scholars offer insights pertaining to the role of the U.S. in tipping the balance in favor of the Allies, how this was accomplished, the significance of U.S./Mexican relations along the border, and speculate on what might have happened had the U.S. withheld its support. Recorded speeches by Woodrow Wilson, future president Warren G. Harding, Ambassador James W. Gerard, Gen. John Pershing, Treasury Secretary William McAdoo, oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller and others offer a variety of contemporary perspectives. Period music demonstrates how growing war support on the homefront fuelled the artistic expressions of the times.

HOUR TWO

The second hour of the program offers a more intimate portrait of the veterans themselves, their experiences and their attitudes toward the war some 90 years after the fact. While some of the veterans were drafted in the first large-scale military conscription in U.S. history, most chose to enlist. Some of the veterans were as young as 16 years old and were inspired by the call to patriotic adventure. Others enlisted prior to 1917 by joining the medical service or the Canadian Army. The veterans saw service in the trenches of Europe, the cavalry along the U.S. border, in the French Ambulance Corps and in the Navy where they escorted merchant ships across the Atlantic.

The veterans relate the details of their daily lives as soldiers, ambulance drivers, cavalrymen and seamen. They recall the songs popular at the time, the ways in which they passed their leisure hours, humorous anecdotes, brushes with danger and hardship, and their experiences with romance. They recall the Spanish Flu pandemic which raged throughout the world in 1918 and 1919, killing 20-40 million people. They recall race relations in the armed forces of the time. They describe the excitement of the Armistice and their subsequent matriculation into civilian life. And they comment on the aftermath of the war and its effect upon their lives and future.

The program concludes with an essay by Will Everett on insights gained from meeting America's oldest veterans. He shares their lessons for the contemporary age on longevity, history and the future. And he shares his feelings on the death of interview subjects during the period of program production.

 THE WORLD WAR ONE LIVING HISTORY PROJECT is available free of charge upon notifying the producer by mailing, faxing or e-mailing the agreement below. The program is also available on CD. The program is recommended for broadcast on or around Veteran's Day but may be aired at the station's discretion. The two hours may be aired contiguously or separately. Contact the producer for more details.

PROGRAM DIRECTORS: CDs AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE TO LISTENERS. CONTACT PRODUCER BELOW.

CONTACT: 
William Everett, Producer 
P.O. Box 3699
 South Padre Island, TX 78597 
Tel: (956) 459-2624
 Fax: (801) 515-7043
 E-mail mail@treehouseproductions.org
 www.thelivinghistoryproject.org