Citizen Soldier

- Season 1

(2013)

Four United States Generals from the U.S. Army Reserves, the United States Marine Corps, The United States Marine Corps Reserves, and the Illinois Army National Guard, and a Colonel from the Illinois Army National Guard discuss the duties and importance of the Reserves and the National Guard in the 21st century.

Greg Burns interviews author Paul Reid about his book collaboration with William Manchester. Manchester was a tremendously successful popular historian and biographer whose books include The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, The Last Lion: Alone, Goodbye Darkness, A World Lit Only by Fire, The Glory and the Dream, The Arms of Krupp, American Caesar, and The Death of A President.

A conversation between Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Dakota Meyer and noted author Bing West about Meyer's experience in the Battle of Ganjigal. For his combat actions, Sgt. Meyer became the first living Marine in three decades to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Dr. John Allen Williams moderates a discussion between James Carl Nelson, author of The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War and Paul Herbert, Executive Director of the First Division Museum at Cantigny about the WWI Battle of Cantigny and Colonel McCormick legacy.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy converted two lake steamers into aircraft carriers upon which inexperienced pilots performed training missions. During training, 128 aircraft were lost, but the freshwater of Lake Michigan preserved the wreckage, providing the United States to a wealth of knowledge about naval aviation history.

Moderated by Stacey Baca of ABC 7 News, this distinguished panel discussed the important issues facing female veterans in today's military.

Rick Atkinson and Max Hastings discuss the role that embedded journalists play in military history.

Moderated by John Allen Williams, this distinguished panel discussed the Battle of the Atlantic from a global perspective.

Moderated by John Barr, this distinguished panel features three American veterans who were prisoners of war in different conflicts. They discuss their experiences as Prisoners of War and their time in captivity.

The first-hand experience of the American G.I.s who liberated the prisoners in the extensive network of Nazi concentration camps during WWII is something most cannot fathom, but will never be forgotten. This panel discusses the stories and sights from one of the most gruesome periods in history.