Running Towards the Fire – screening and panel discussion (Read More)
The documentary film "Running Towards the Fire" - about World War II war correspondents, including one from Nebraska - will premiere at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, followed by a panel discussion featuring: director/producer Barney McCoy (Gilbert and Martha Hitchcock professor of journalism at UNL), assistant professor of practice and documentary videographer Kristian Anderson, award-winning filmmaker and project consultant Christine Lesiak, and project consultant, author, military historian and senior archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration Mitch Yockelson. Visit The Ross website to RSVP for tickets. "Running Towards the Fire - A War Correspondents Story” will also make its debut statewide broadcast on Nebraska Public Media on these dates and times: Thursday, May 23 at 8p.m. central time and rebroadcasts on Sunday, May 26 at 5 p.m. and Tuesday, May 28 at 8 p.m. RUNNING TOWARDS THE FIRE vividly captures the pivotal roles war correspondents played during the Allies 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe and subsequent defeat of Nazi Germany and the Axis powers in 1945. The war correspondents were unsung heroes who risked their lives informing the world with firsthand accounts of the bravery and sacrifice of the American and Allied forces who fought the Nazis. The documentary draws extensively from the previously unpublished memoirs of Robert Reuben. The Omaha-born war correspondent parachuted into Normandy, France, hours before the D-Day invasion and was the first journalist on the ground. Reuben chronicled the Allies’ liberation of France and Belgium and fierce fighting in Germany that forced the Nazi’s May 7, 1945, surrender. RUNNING TOWARDS THE FIRE also pays tribute to the courage and resilience of the men and women who fought tyranny in WWII. Through newspaper articles, radio broadcasts and film reports, war correspondents like Reuben boosted the morale of soldiers and civilians by highlighting the sacrifices they made in the pursuit of freedom.
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Righting a Wrong/Preserving a Legacy Exhibition (Read More)
Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian, examines the complicated history and impact of Executive Order 9066 which led to the incarceration of 75,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry and 45,000 Japanese nationals following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Young and old lived crowded together in hastily built camps, endured poor living conditions, and were under the constant watch of military guards for two and a half years. Meanwhile, brave Japanese American men risked their lives fighting for the United States. Some 40 years later, members of the Japanese American community led the nation to confront the wrong it had done—and urged Congress to make it right. In partnership with Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering, the exhibition “Preserving a Legacy: Japanese in Nebraska” expands on the story told by the traveling Smithsonian exhibition “Righting a Wrong.” The story of Japanese Americans in Nebraska is filled with hope and support in the state. This exhibit strives to tell these stories. Japanese Nebraskans lived mostly in western farming communities. They worked on farms and in stockyards, in hospitality and domestic service, in professions, and as entrepreneurs. Omaha’s small Japanese community included Harry Watanabe, who founded the Oriental Trading Company in 1932. Unlike the West Coast, Nebraska Japanese were not incarcerated during World War II, but some lost jobs and community leaders were arrested and questioned. Japanese immigrants were designated “enemy aliens.” Newspapers across the state reprinted warnings that they and their U.S.-born children might act as spies and saboteurs. Some Nebraskans responded with anti-Japanese hostility. Others spoke against mass incarceration and even hastened the release of those incarcerated by opening jobs to workers and enrollment to students. Nebraskans of Japanese ancestry have led the way in righting the wrongs of the 1940s, honoring the rights and dignity of all Americans today. Exhibit open during normal museum hours Tuesday through Saturday: Tuesday and Wednesday: 9:00AM – 4:00PM Thursday: 9:00AM – 8:00PM Friday and Saturday: 9:00AM – 4:00PM Sunday and Monday : Closed Closed during state observed holidays. Regular museum admission applies.
A new play by Becky Boesen, commissioned by History Nebraska, inspired by the life of Clarence Williams “It’s almost unbelievable that anyone could be hardened to the point of doing the brutal things they did…” A young man from the midwest is sent to war, carrying with him the hopes of the free world. What Staff Sergeant Clarence Williams encounters there challenges and changes humanity forever. History touches the present when a new generation takes a journey through time to experience World War II alongside Clarence himself. Centered around his personal letters home, we learn that sometimes what seems so far away is much closer than we think. Filled with hope and heart, Not Too Far Distant honors the experience of the American soldier and reminds us that we all have the power – and the responsibility – to help create a brighter future.
A new play by Becky Boesen, commissioned by History Nebraska, inspired by the life of Clarence Williams “It’s almost unbelievable that anyone could be hardened to the point of doing the brutal things they did…” A young man from the midwest is sent to war, carrying with him the hopes of the free world. What Staff Sergeant Clarence Williams encounters there challenges and changes humanity forever. History touches the present when a new generation takes a journey through time to experience World War II alongside Clarence himself. Centered around his personal letters home, we learn that sometimes what seems so far away is much closer than we think. Filled with hope and heart, Not Too Far Distant honors the experience of the American soldier and reminds us that we all have the power - and the responsibility - to help create a brighter future. The performance will be followed by a scholar-led conversation on Nebraska and holocaust history. This matinee for students is free, but registration is required. Email [email protected] to register.
A new play by Becky Boesen, commissioned by History Nebraska, inspired by the life of Clarence Williams “It’s almost unbelievable that anyone could be hardened to the point of doing the brutal things they did…” A young man from the midwest is sent to war, carrying with him the hopes of the free world. What Staff Sergeant Clarence Williams encounters there challenges and changes humanity forever. History touches the present when a new generation takes a journey through time to experience World War II alongside Clarence himself. Centered around his personal letters home, we learn that sometimes what seems so far away is much closer than we think. Filled with hope and heart, Not Too Far Distant honors the experience of the American soldier and reminds us that we all have the power - and the responsibility - to help create a brighter future. The performance will be followed by a scholar-led conversation on Nebraska and holocaust history. Tickets are required - $12/adult, $7/youth, free admission for veterans and auxiliary members - and may be purchased here.
A new play by Becky Boesen, commissioned by History Nebraska, inspired by the life of Clarence Williams “It’s almost unbelievable that anyone could be hardened to the point of doing the brutal things they did…” A young man from the midwest is sent to war, carrying with him the hopes of the free world. What Staff Sergeant Clarence Williams encounters there challenges and changes humanity forever. History touches the present when a new generation takes a journey through time to experience World War II alongside Clarence himself. Centered around his personal letters home, we learn that sometimes what seems so far away is much closer than we think. Filled with hope and heart, Not Too Far Distant honors the experience of the American soldier and reminds us that we all have the power - and the responsibility - to help create a brighter future. The performance will be followed by a scholar-led conversation on Nebraska and holocaust history. Free, but registration is required. Register here.
A new play by Becky Boesen, commissioned by History Nebraska, inspired by the life of Clarence Williams “It’s almost unbelievable that anyone could be hardened to the point of doing the brutal things they did…” A young man from the midwest is sent to war, carrying with him the hopes of the free world. What Staff Sergeant Clarence Williams encounters there challenges and changes humanity forever. History touches the present when a new generation takes a journey through time to experience World War II alongside Clarence himself. Centered around his personal letters home, we learn that sometimes what seems so far away is much closer than we think. Filled with hope and heart, Not Too Far Distant honors the experience of the American soldier and reminds us that we all have the power - and the responsibility - to help create a brighter future. The performance will be followed by a scholar-led conversation on Nebraska and holocaust history. Tickets for this performance are $10 and may be purchased here.
