The Early Days

December 19, 2019
Filming began for our newest feature doc about WWII veterans. Our first interviewee was Russell Ash who served in the navy. He was in our first documentary film about Plymouth, Michigan and was part of our inspiration to make this film. Unfortunately, Russ passed away in 2025 and will be dearly missed.

December 20, 2019
Our second interview was with Don Folsom, who had some incredible stories to share with us, including his struggles upon returning home from the war. Don was very animated in his discussion, and was very active in the Pacific battle. He encountered face-to-face struggles with the enemy, and did all he could to protect himself and his fellow soldiers. We should all be very appreciative of his bravery and efforts.

January 3, 2020
Our first Rosie the Riveter interview occurred with Vivian Litchard on this cold January day. She was spry and full of wonderful stories which discussed the importance of Detroit as the “Arsenal of Democracy”, and many other important facets of her role as a Rosie. We lost Vivian in 2024 as well and will always remember our time with her.

January 6, 2020
Next up was a sit down with Gene Overholt who served as a communication specialist in the army. His emotional stories of coming home touched us deeply, as he shared about drinking cold milk for the first time in over 2 years while tears ran down his face. Gene also served as the International President of Kiwanis in the late 1980’s. He passed away in 2023 at the age of 99.

January 7, 2020
Tom Houdek was our third interview this week, and filled with an array of stories which touched our hearts. His 19th birthday was in a German camp as a POW, and he displayed raw emotions about his experiences throughout the interview. Tom passed away in 2023.