Synopsis: During WWII over 550,000 Jews served in the U.S. military with over 50,000 of these soldiers being decorated for valor. For the first time, The Bronze Star of David will document these dramatic untold stories of heroism and sacrifice, told through the eyes of the men who lived it.

The Bronze Star of David will explore the challenges of Anti-Semitism many of these soldiers faced from the very military they were fighting for, to the triumphs of a hard- fought victory on the battlefield to the horror of what was found in the liberated camps inside Germany. At its heart, this is a story of men in combat, who fought for a country and an ideal they believed in. This is a story that must be told.

From the producers of the award winning and highly acclaimed This is War-Memories of Iraq, The Bronze Star of David will be told with the same style of live interview and archival footage that earned such high national praise for This is War.

The Soldiers; The Producers have been working closely with the Oregon Jewish Museum and many Portland-area WWII veterans have been identified for interview candidates. Many of these soldiers have received Bronze Stars, Silver Stars or Purple Hearts for their valor. These men served in all branches of the military and both the Pacific and European Theaters.

All of the interviews will be shot at the Lucky Forward Films studio in Hillsboro and in high definition format.

Timing:
We are losing over 1,600 hundred WWII veterans a day. We must act quickly as we have already lost some of the potential interviewees for this film in just the last few months. When they pass, so will their stories. We must act now.

Distribution:
The plan is to make this film and distribute it to Education, Public Broadcasting and via organizations such as the Jewish Federation. Proceeds from the film can go towards sponsor identified programs. We will also be giving a copy of the completed film as well as the raw interviews to the Oregon Jewish Museum.

Sponsorship:
The National Combat History Archive is seeking a sponsorship to make this film.

For more information contact:

Gary Mortensen

503-597-7030 or 504-490-8696 

The National Combat History Archive will host a fundraiser at its headquarters tonight. The goal is to raise $50,000 dollars to enable putting their 1,000,000 photo online for sharing with the world. 

by Julie Sullivan, The Oregonian

Tuesday January 27, 2009, 11:18 AM

The National Combat History Archives, a Hillsboro non-profit that collects and protects combat photographs and footage, will hold an open house Thursday.

Since 2006, the small staff housed in an industrial park has collected 1 million photos and 12,000 hours of combat footage from the Spanish American war to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Our dream now is to put it online and share it with the public on a huge virtually free archive,'' said Gary Mortensen, president of the organization founded by entrepreneur Scot Laney.

Mortensen said the organization plans to digitize the collection and get the material online. The website would be a wiki that encourages others to share information about units or events. Photos can be scanned for the collection and the originals returned to families to keep.

The men, two archivists and a videographer have been working with smaller veterans organizations and individuals. Among the recent submissions are three collections from the World War II battle for Iwo Jima. One set of photos is from a Navy gunner who photographed Mount Suribachi under fire; a second was from a Marine who photographed overrun defenses and carnage after coming ashore and a third collection shows the B-29s on the island after it was taken.

"It's a mosaic of Iwo Jima that no one has ever seen, and because you also see photos of guys with their buddies, you get a much more personal glimpse of World War II,'' Mortensen said.

Another treasure trove was recently discovered in Eugene where a Realtor discovered nearly 1,000 photos of 1925-1927 Marine Corps in a Dumpster and sent them in.

Mortensen, and Laney, who also collected, wrote and produced the documentary "This is War: Memories of Iraq,'' are hoping to attract older veterans whose histories are disappearing as they pass.

"This isn't to glorify or nationalize what happened but to commemorate and memorialize what has happened,'' Mortensen said. "Our slogan is, " We want people to understand freedom isn't free -- but history should be."

The National Combat History Archives Open House

6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.

5801 N.W. Cornelius Pass Road, Hillsboro (1/2 mile north of Highway 26), next to Documart. For information 503-597-7030.

Imagine what would happen if all of our veterans photographs, film footage and written documents were digitized and shared online with education and veterans groups at no cost. That’s the ambitious goal of the Veterans Legacy Preservation Project, a program founded by the National Combat History Archive.

“Each day we lose over 1,600 hundred WWII veterans and with them typically goes their photographs, film and written memoirs” said Gary Mortensen, President of the National Combat History archive. “It’s hard to imagine, but these precious documents are typically sold at estate sales or on eBay or even worse simply thrown away".

The Veterans Legacy Preservation Project was launched not only to remedy the loss of this incredible history, but also to restore, aggregate, index and digitize the images with the purpose of sharing it online with veterans and educators at no cost. “It is important that future generations have access to these documents so that the deeds of our great veterans are never forgotten or misinterpreted” said Scot Laney, founder of the National Combat History Archive.