Project Components

• Videotaped interviews with WWII veterans and civilians who were from Central Illinois or are now living here.

• Stories from members of all of the armed forces, the merchant marine, medical corps, etc. will be encouraged.

• Civilians will be encouraged to share stories about life in Central Illinois during the war including things like:

  • gas and food rationing

  • metal drives

  • women working in traditional men’s jobs

• Interviews will be conducted at temporary studios located at the McLean County Historical Society and WTVP. 

• For individuals who cannot travel a film crew will go to the most appropriate location to tape the interview.

• Interviewees will be encouraged to include photos or other memorabilia that will help to visualize their stories.

• Documentary shorts about Central Illinois’ unique contributions to the war effort, examples:

  • the development of a means to mass produce penicillin at the USDA Agriculture Laboratory in Peoria

  • the German POW camp near Havana

  • the rise of the Caterpillar Company and their tracked vehicles

  • building LSTs in Ottawa

Final Products

• Edited interviews will be aired between programs on WTVP throughout the year.

• A limited number of interviews will be edited and aired as part of Ken Burns’ THE WAR series.

• WTVP will create one or more local 30- or 60-minute specials for broadcast about WWII and Central Illinois.

• Edited interviews and documentary shorts will be available for streaming on the WTVP web site.

• A DVD of each individual’s interview will be presented the interviewee to be kept as part of their family history.

• Copies of all materials created by this project will be provided to area historical societies, libraries and colleges.

• Copies of all veterans’ interviews will be submitted to the Library of Congress to be incorporated into their Veterans History Project.