In the first half hour, Burns makes it clear that America did not single-handedly win the war, that America's military losses were the smallest of the Allies, and that the American civilian population was never really threatened. The film is clearly made to portray the American experience of the war, not the worlds. As Kamiya states in the article, anyone who is familiar with Burn's work should expect this. Even the title refers to this so-called bias: in America, when one hears the phrase "The War" it is almost always in reference to WWII, not any other war, even the current one.

If Burns really intended to just make a maudlin, sentimental tear-jerker, would he have focused so much attention on the brutal aspects of battle? Would he have included so much about the Japanese internment camps? Would he have included anecdotes of American GIs killing unarmed prisoners out of revenge?

Burns is going way beyond the sentimental "Greatest Generation" pap that has become so common lately. Yes, there is sentimentality, but there is also pain, fear, hate, anger and death.

I have been moved to tears at least four times in the first two nights. I have long had a historical understanding of the war, but this gives me an deeper emotional understanding as well.

Bravo Ken Burns. Bravo.

Dearest Prudence

It is with a heavy heart I must convey to you the despair we feel at the long lines already suffering men must endure at the Starbucks. Your eternal love

Henry Longridge, Capt. 1st Ohio Geek Squad, April 2004.

Cue violin music.

All across the country, state educational television networks are continuing Burns' work by locating World War II veterans - as well as civilians who served at home - and recording their stories.

You can get more information about how to find World War II veterans, interview them and preserve their memories and experiences at PBS.org. It's a perfect project for middle- and high-school students, retirees, history buffs, or anyone who has a spare day to spend with a veteran.

Kentucky Educational Television held 12 community events all across the state to honor local World War II veterans and preview the series. Many, many veterans who have never before spoken about their experiences were moved to speak at last.

KET has partnered with the Kentucky Oral History Commission to record and preserve those rapidly disappearing memories.

I have listened to World War II veterans tell their stories myself recently, and I can assure you that nothing is more exciting, moving and rewarding.

All those magnificent memories surround you - just ask and they will reveal themselves.

Do it today, before they disappear.

I teach a class that I have entitled, "American Literature About War." Currently we are reading Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. Before that we read Johnny Got His Gun. My students have been commenting on seeing a different side of war than the

one(s) that are usually presented to them. They are pretty blown away. I have not seen the first in the Ken Burns' series on WWII, so I can't make any statements about it, but one thing that I think that we all need to see and realize (like my students) that even if there is a war that we feel that we can't avoid, war is horrible and should be avoided if at all possible. We still glorify war for wars sake, and it is difficult not to do, considering how war has always been glorified. Saying that, I hope to catch Ken Burns' series on public television.

The Soviet Union invaded Manchuria on August 6, 1945, exactly three months after the surrender of Germany (as they had pledged at Yalta). Japan sued for peace on August 14. What impact the Soviet invasion had, including their rapid decimation of the 900,000 man Kwantung Army, on Japan's decision to throw in the towel has been and continues to be debated. That the Soviets attacked "late" or after Japan surrendered is historical horseshit.

Having seen the first 2 of 7 episodes to come, I was reminded of our neighbor, Ken Smitley. We all lived in a small coal mining town (pop. 5000) in western Pennsylvania.

Ken, his wife Lil, and son, Ken Jr. lived three houses down from us on N. Water Street in Masontown. Just 7 years old in 1950, I remember Ken Smitley. He was a tall man with a booming voice. When he called his son to supper, we all heard him. One unusual thing about Ken was his volatile temper that he tried mightily to control.

We were all Methodists and our minister, Reverend Pierce, told me a story about Ken.

Ken was a tank commander in France and Germany during WW II. One night during a lull in the battle, Ken made a promise to God. If he ever got out of this hell, he would start a youth choir in his church in Masontown.

My older brother, Don, along with Ken, Jr. and 15 others are pictured in 1955 singing in that choir.

I have been looking forward to this documentary since PBS started advertising it months ago. There have been many moving and enlightening parts, but the primary feeling I've had is something along the lines of "someone needs to give Ken Burns a smaller canvas."

I know the temptation of having a big blank sheet of paper -- you just want to fill the whole thing up. But it seems so undisciplined and difficult to follow.

I'm also not sure that we need so many reminders that people pulled together/it sucked being in the infantry/we were young and didn't know the danger we were in, when there are so many other interesting aspects of this story that are skated over.

Last night, I learned that nearly 25% of all retail transactions in the US during the war were illegal (in violation of the rationing laws), but only after a long discussion of how difficult it is to make a birthday cake without shortening. Or that the aristocracy in Mobile was unhappy with the influx of "rednecks" who came to work in the shipyard. Wow, does that mean there was a signficant portion of the population who didn't feel "all in this together?"

We also had a long discussion of how disasterous raid on a German ball bearing plant was repeated a few days or weeks later with no difference in outcome. But only a brief glimpse at the underlying meaning there -- that commanders viewed their air crews as completely expendable. A very disturbing message about the sheer inhumanity of war. But not really said out loud.

I guess I do miss the "talking heads" that can give a broad perspective and context. By using only the local, personal perspective, the risk is that we hear only the standard narrative that is almost a mythical story, and only get glimpses of the missing stories and messages in that narrative.