Previewing Activity Holidays
Wars War Monuments
Topics of Interest PDF File

Educational Resources

PBS 45 & 49's Act of Duty talks with more than a dozen northeast Ohio men and women who share their first-hand experience of battle and how it has shaped their lives. This enlightening look into the lives of U.S. veterans is shared against a backdrop of footage featuring scenes of war, airplanes, naval vessels, veterans' cemeteries and newspaper headlines. The program also features an interview with Retired General Norman Schwarzkopf.

Act of Duty is structured in four segments (although sections are not labeled as such.)

Segment 1 defines who is a veteran and covers the Civil War and Decoration Day (which is now called Memorial Day).

Segment 2 starts with World War I and includes information about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Segment 3 covers World War II and Korea.

Segment 4 covers Vietnam, the Gulf War and how veterans feel about the United States. Those who served explain their roles both during and after war.

The Act of Duty Web site includes lessons and information on the following:

  • Veterans Holidays -- Memorial Day and Veterans Day

  • The wars covered in the video -- Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam and the Gulf War

  • War Monuments -- Arlington National Cemetery, The War Dog Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Korean War Children's Memorial, National Korean War Memorial, National World War II Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Women's Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

  • Topics of Interest -- Dropping the Bomb, Holocaust, Women in War, African-Americans in War

James Matthews of Akron, Ohio, is one of the 22 veterans who participates in Act of Duty. Matthews and his wife, Meredith (also featured in the program) served in World War II.
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