WWII in HD: The Air War

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For more than a year before D-Day, the US Army's Eighth Air Force waged war with Hitler's mighty Luftwaffe – protecting the British Isles and making small inroads towards the heart of Germany. The latest episode of WWII in HD, this time titled The Air War, (produced by Lou Reda Films and  presented on the History Channel), will look at the history of the eighth Air Force with the same unapologetic realism and brutal battle footage that has defined this series. Military.com got a sneak peek of the episode and we can tell you that the film is powerful, unforgettable and required viewing for any and all history buffs!

The storyline of the European air war is masterfully crafted from combat camera footage coupled with interviews and correspondence from members of the Eighth Air Force – all voiced by Hollywood A-listers including Chris O'Donnell, Rob Lowe, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood and Casey Affleck. Among them a young Stars-and-Stripes reporter named Andy Rooney candidly speaks of his fears and anxieties as he joins bombing runs deeper and deeper into continental Europe.

WWII in HD : The Air War tells a story that seems to have been lost – the renewed pop-culture interest in WWII's European theater brought about by Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers often portrayed the Army's pilots as existing in a support role to those on the ground. We can only hope that programs like this can shed light on the heroic efforts and great sacrifices of those that took to the skies in the battle against tyranny.