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| Entrance to the imposing museum. |
It was a great honor to have the opportunity to screen
The Americans in The Bulge, on Veterans Day at Fort Benning, as part of Livingbattlefield.org's non-profit, educational, outreach program. The museum is an incredible tribute to U.S. armed forces through the ages.
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| Carl Beck, Marilyn Pahr and Richard Lanni |
We were joined by Veteran Screaming Eagle, Carl Beck, who appears in
The Americans on Hell's Highway. Carl drove down from Atlanta with Livingbattlefield.org's board member and friend, Marilyn Pahr. Carl joined in a Q&A session after the screening.
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| Lieutenant Jordan Beck, introduces the show. |
IMAX Director, Mark Balsinger and AV Director, Lieutenant Jordan Beck, pulled out all the stops to make Veterans Day 2011 at Fort Benning, a memorable occasion for everyone.
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| Director Richard Lanni addresses the audience. |
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Although not present, 101st Airborne veteran,
Jim "Pee Wee" Martin's words, stole the show. The audience were captivated by his gripping account of life in Bastogne during the siege, and his humorous description of how the German surrender pamphlet was used as toilet paper.
The National Infantry Museum is undoubtedly one of the most engaging historical sites that we have ever visited. We are sure that during our WWI research, we will be spending a lot of time here.
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| Statue of a GI, rifle in hand, charging forward. |
It was incredible to see the film on the enormous IMAX screen, which measures 70' across and 5 stories high. The powerful sound system enabled the audience to hear every sound effect with alarming clarity.
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| Opening sequence. | | | |
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| Carl answering questions. |
After the screening, Carl Beck, answered viewers questions about 'The Bulge'. Ever the comedian, Carl gave his own humorous recollections of that fateful battle.
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| Richard Lanni and WWII vets |
Other WWII veterans, who volunteer their time to talk with people attending the museum, were also present at the screening. They were given a warm welcome and a rapturous round of applause.
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| 1st Sgt. Chris Goodrow meets Carl |
The U.S army showed their appreciation for the screening. It was even suggested that every young soldier should see the films as part of their training, Wow!! Wouldn't that be great.
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| Carl talks with Dorothy Ziegler |
Another special moment occurred when audience member, Dorothy Ziegler, realized that Carl Beck had served under her father, Col. Ewell, in the Hell's Highway campaign.
This film will be showing for another two weeks at Ft. Benning. Who knows, maybe the trilogy will become a fixture at this amazing theater. This was the first of a number of screenings this month and next, culminating with our final screening of the year in New York on December 7th.
