Piece 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. To receive an audition copy of the program on CD or via FTP download, please contact the producer.