One-hour documentary “Hidden Heroes: The Nisei Soldiers of WWII” will premiere on Veterans Day Thursday, November 11 at 8 p.m. From the Category Six Media(TM) group and Will Packer Media, the documentary tells the lesser-known, inspiring story of the Japanese American soldiers of WWII who fought for the ideals of American democracy and became the most decorated military unit for its size and length of service in United States history.
“The History Channel is committed to supporting veterans and military families and this year we are honored to tell the relatively unknown but incredible story of the Japanese American WWII soldiers,” said Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for The History Channel. “These veterans and American barrier breakers have made significant contributions to the fabric of U.S. society and their inspiring, courageous stories deserve to be told.”
The Nisei, a term to describe second generation Japanese Americans, made up the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service, a group of Nisei linguists and translators. They played a pivotal role in the Allied victory against the Nazis and are credited with shortening the war in the Pacific Theater and saving countless lives. But despite their courage, efforts, and influence on the battlefield, they still battled against fierce racism and discrimination at home in the U.S.
Featuring sit-down interviews with experts and historians, and rarely seen first person interviews with the soldiers themselves, the special reveals the history of a group of soldiers whose story is seldom told, but whose perseverance and service to this country during WWII helped America succeed where others had failed. Also interviewed in the documentary is Dr. Mitchell T. Maki, President and CEO of Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC), a nonprofit organization which educates the public on the valor of Japanese American veterans of World War II and their contributions to our nation.
Additionally, on Veterans Day, The History Channel is joining together with Variety to premiere the special “Voices Magnified: Variety Salute to Service” on November 11 at 9pm ET/PT to pay tribute to veterans and military families. Hosted by Robin Roberts the special highlights incredible stories of veterans who sacrificed time and much more to serve their country, showing how veterans make the transition from military to civilian life and use their skills and experiences to chart a new path when they are no longer in uniform.
The History Channel is also continuing its partnership with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization, through its ongoing Honor A Vet initiative. Viewers are encouraged to share on social media a photo of a veteran in their life that has inspired them using #HonorAVet and tagging @history. For each submission shared on Instagram, Twitter or uploaded on www.history.com/honoravet, the network will donate $1 to Team Rubicon, up to $20,000.
“Hidden Heroes: The Nisei Soldiers of WWII” is produced for The History Channel by the Category 6 Media(TM) group. Sharon Scott, Kristy Sabat and Jessica Conway serve as executive producers for the Category 6 Media(TM) group. Ben Sherwood and Bruce Feiler also serve as executive producers. Will Packer and Kelly Smith serve as executive producers for Will Packer Media. Alex Hicks and Zachary Behr serve as executive producers for The History Channel.