Documentary Channel Pays Tribute To American Heroes With A Special Memorial Day Marathon

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Documentary Channel (DOC) proudly pays tribute to servicemen and women, both past and present, with a special Memorial Day marathon on Monday, May 28 beginning at 10:00 am ET.  Kicking off with "Seeds of Destiny," a postwar propaganda film produced in support of the United Nations Relief and winner of the 1946 Academy Award® for short subject, the special line-up culminates with the US Television premieres of "Search for the Flyboys: The Ghosts of Palau" (8:00 pm ET/PT), a film narrated by General Wesley Clark that follows a team of military anthropologists and other specialists as they seek to uncover and identify the remains of a missing American aviator downed in World War II, and "Tin Can Sailors Will Not Be Forgotten" (9:30 pm ET/PT), a tribute to the men who served in the Second World War aboard the famed destroyer the USS Morris.

The full schedule for the special Memorial Day marathon is as follows (all times ET):

• "Seeds of Destiny" (10:00 am)
  A postwar propaganda film in support of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.  Strident but poignant, "Seeds of Destiny" focuses on children as it surveys the Nazi/Japanese atrocities, post-war devastation, and early relief efforts. 
• "Body of War" (10:30 am)
  The moving story of Tomas Young, a 25-year-old war veteran, paralyzed from a bullet to his spine after serving for less than a week in Iraq.  Produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro the film also features two original songs from Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder.
• "Operation Homecoming" (12:30 pm)
  2008 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature, the film illuminates the extraordinary experiences of American servicemen and women through their own powerful stories.  Based on the acclaimed NEA-sponsored book of the same name, "Operation Homecoming" features distinguished actors like Robert Duvall, Beau Bridges and Aaron Echkhart as they give voice to poems, stories, essays, letters and more.
• "The Battle of Little Sayler's Creek" (2:30 pm)
  Civil War re-enactors gather on the original battlefield at Sayler's Creek Virginia to recreate the historic battle that took place on April 6, 1865.  One of the last battles of the American Civil War, The Battle of Little Sayler's Creek culminated three days later in General Lee's surrender at Appomattox – the largest surrender without terms in American military history.
• "For My Country" (4:00 pm)
  Narrated by legendary music icon Pat Boone, "For My Country" takes viewers on a journey of the rich history of the United States National Guard.  A moving documentary offering an insider's view of the impact the National Guard has made throughout our history, the film reaches into the heroic lives of the dedicated men and women who sacrifice to defend the United States and our interests around the world.
• "Honor in the Valley of Tears" (5:30 pm)
  The eye-opening story of Congressional Medal of Honor 1st Sgt. David H. McNerney and the men of company A-Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry of the 4th Infantry Division that he trained and led into a bloody, yet forgotten battle near Polei Doc in the Central Highlands of Vietnam at the height of the Vietnam War – an area later known as "The Valley of Tears."
• "Search for the Flyboys: The Ghosts of Palau" (8:00 pm)
  Narrated by General Wesley Clark, director Stephen Narisi's "Search for the Flyboys: The Ghosts of Palau" follows a team of military anthropologists and other specialists as they seek to uncover and identify the remains of a missing American aviator downed over the Palau Islands during World War II.  US Television Premiere
• "Tin Can Sailors Will Not Be Forgotten" (9:30 pm)
  Director Greg Berg's personal tribute to the men who served alongside his father aboard the USS Morris, a destroyer that saw action from the North Atlantic to the islands of Japan during the Second World War.  As flagship for Destroyer Squadron 2 she earned fifteen battle stars and was nearly sunk by a kamikaze at Okinawa. Now, every year, her crew members reunite to honor "the ones who didn't make it back."  US Television Premiere

Documentary Channel is primarily available through satellite television services DISH Network (Channel 197) and DIRECTV (Channel 267). 

About Documentary Channel®:  Documentary Channel (DOC) is the USA's first 24-hour television network exclusively devoted to documentary films and the independent documentary filmmaker, providing viewers with round-the-clock opportunities to see fascinating, eclectic and award-winning documentary films of all lengths and genres.  For more information on DOC, visit the network website at www.documentarychannel.com, in addition to www.facebook.com/DocumentaryChannel or www.twitter.com/doc_channel.

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Ashley Sandberg
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SOURCE Documentary Channel