Concert for Valor, Saluting American Veterans

Recommended viewing:  Tonight’s  Concert for Valor, Saluting American Veterans on HBO at 7PM Eastern Time from the Mall in Washington, D.C.  This terrific first time event is being sponsored by HBO, Starbucks, and Chase and features an all-star cast, including Rihanna and Bruce Springsteen.

Just a reminder that the story of HBO’s series “The Pacific” was built around Eugene Sledge and Company K-3-5 of the 1st Marine Division. Four of the Marines we interviewed for our film appear as characters in their production: Eugene Sledge, R. V. Burgin, Jay de L’Eau, and Bill Leyden. Also, the story of our film “17th Airborne, the Bulge to the Rhine” parallels the story of “The Band of Brothers”, HBO’s other great WWII series. We expect that their announced series, “Masters of the Air”, which will tell the story of the men and crews who flew the B-17, will be just as remarkable.

Recently, at an air show where flights on B-17s were offered, a table of books and films featuring the B-17 were on display and available for purchase. A Congressional Medal of Honor winner, who flew B-17s, walked by the table and looked over the materials for sale. After spending a few minutes there, he asked the person manning the table why they didn’t have our film “Pistol Packin’ Mama” on display and then told them that is was the best film ever made about the B-17, better than “12 O’clock High”, which to my mind is one of the greatest WWII films on any aspect of the war. Humbling praise.