Blue Ridge PBS will air a documentary about the D-Day Bedford Boys on Wednesday. "Bedford: The Town They Left Behind" is scheduled to air Wednesday, June 6 at 7 p.m. to celebrate the 68th anniversary of D-Day.
The documentary will be dedicated to D-Day veteran Bob Slaughter, who died Tuesday.
Bedford suffered the highest per-capita D-Day losses in the US.
The documentary is part of the Blue Ridge PBS 2012 Summer Festival, which starts Saturday. The other documentary subjects range from trains to Virginia wineries.
Click here for Blue Ridge PBS Summer Festival programming.
Here is the news release from PBS:
Blue Ridge PBS kicks off its 2012 Summer Festival on June 2, with a schedule of outstanding documentaries addressing a range of local interests such as the impact of D-Day on Bedford, North American trains and Virginia wineries.
A special evening of tribute and remembrance is set for June 6 at 7 p.m., when Blue Ridge PBS presents “Bedford: The Town They Left Behind.” The documentary traces Bedford’s National Guard unit that stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. As a community, Bedford suffered the highest per capita D-Day losses in the nation. The program also draws parallels with the same unit’s more recent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Co-writer and director Joe Fab will be interviewed by Blue Ridge PBS executive producer Angela Hatcher, a native of Bedford.
“We will dedicate the evening to the memory of D-Day veteran John Robert ‘Bob’ Slaughter,” noted Baum. The longtime Roanoke resident, who passed away May 29, was the driving force behind the creation of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, and participated in several Blue Ridge PBS productions about World War II. “He represented the very best of the generation that saved the world from tyranny, and we were honored that he shared his story with our viewers.”
In other programming with a local focus, “Trains Around North America” premieres June 2 at 7 p.m. Hosted by Grammy-winning musician and storyteller David Holt, viewers visit 17 railways, from quiet and relaxing trains featuring spectacular meals and views, to fast-paced trains full of glitz, glamour and movie stars. Trains of regional interest include the Hiwassee Rail Adventure based in Chattanooga, Tenn., and the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railway headquartered in Durbin W.Va. Railroad expert Aubrey Wiley of Lynchburg will be in the studio to discuss his book, “Virginia Railway Pictorial: Stories and Pictures.”
On June 4 at 7 p.m., “Celtic Thunder Voyage” airs with exclusive tickets to the best seats in the house for the lads’ fall concert in Salem. Named Billboard’s Top World Music Artist for 2011, Celtic Thunder performs October 3 at the Salem Civic Center.
Wine enthusiasts and lovers of Virginia history will be especially interested in “Vintage: The Winemaker’s Year,” coming June 5 at 7 p.m. Told month by month, this beautiful documentary explores the natural drama of a winemaker’s year at numerous locations in the Charlottesville area. Blue Ridge PBS will be offering a day trip to Veritas and Barboursville wineries, which are featured in the program. Richard Leahy, an authority on Virginia wines, will be interviewed in the Blue Ridge PBSstudio.
“Viewer support during festival programming helps sustain Blue Ridge PBSbroadcasts and local productions,” said James Baum, the station’s president and CEO. “We believe the Summer Festival line-up will remind viewers of our unique value to the region.”
Visit www.BlueRidgePBS.org for updated Summer Festival schedules and more programming information.
