Following a New York Emmy nomination for its documentary on North Shore World War II veterans, the Lake Success-based Public Access TV Corporation is moving forward on a program about the Korean War – the second in its ongoing series of local military histories.
The storytelling project, which features interviews with North Hempstead veterans, will move through each of America’s wars, including future programs on Vietnam, Desert Storm, the September 11 attacks and the second Iraq War.
It’s part of an effort to bring the wars home for North Shore residents, said PATV Executive Director Shirley Bruno – and allow them to gain an appreciation for the sacrifices made by their neighbors.
“It’s our local residents,” Bruno said. “They’ll see this gentleman on TV, they’ll hear about his history and his experience in the war, and say ‘that’s the guy I see in the Post Office. That’s my neighbor.’”
The project has been in the works for years, though the scale of the World War II series, which encompassed interviews with dozens of veterans, pushed back the start-date of the Korea documentaries.
“[A six-part series] was always the plan from the beginning,” Bruno said. “We didn’t realize it would be so many veterans from World War II and it took quite a bit of time to finish the whole thing.”
PATV is currently seeking local veterans to tell their stories of the Korean War on camera, an effort being assisted by retired Col. Donald Ferguson – a Great Neck resident and 40-year military veteran who is working with American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars groups to recruit veterans to participate.
The documentary will help tell the stories of local veterans that are yet to be covered, Ferguson said.
“Noone’s even asked them,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson, a Brooklyn native, joined the National Guard the old fashioned way – by lying about his age.
“I joined when I was 16 – I told them I was 17,” Ferguson said.
He then served in Korea, embarking on a four-decade military career.
Ferguson moved to Great Neck in 1975 and worked several jobs with the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point.
The Korea documentary is in its early stages and PATV is seeking participants, Bruno said.
“We’re just starting this,” Bruno said. “We need the people to come out – we’ve heard from three so far.”
And Ferguson, who moderated interviews for the broadcaster’s World War II series, is expected to play a big role in recruiting veterans.
“Don is our No. 1” Bruno said.
