WPBS Marks Memorial Day with the National Memorial Day Concert and Selection of Special Programming

WATERTOWN, NY (May 1, 2024) – Monday, May 27th is Memorial Day, when Americans honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. WPBS remembers those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our democracy and freedom with a selection of special programming, including:

After Action (Sundays at 4:00 pm)

Hosted by Air Force combat veteran Stacy Pearsall, conversations about life before, during and after action provide a deeper appreciation for those who’ve served.

To Be Takei (Friday, May 10 at 9:00 pm)

Join actor and activist George Takei and his husband Brad on this star’s playful and profound trek for life, liberty, and love.

WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories (Tuesday, May 21 at 7:30 pm)

Learn how the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego is restoring a very special WWII Tugboat.

Final Landing on Iwo Jima (Friday, May 24 at 9:00 pm)

A then and now look at the Japanese island at the heart of a brutal World War II battle, following two men as they visit the historic war site.

Unearthing Ogawa (Sunday, May 26 at 12 noon)

The life of a dead Japanese soldier is honored by an American who finds him with his diary in a battlefield cave and seeks to return the chronicle to the man’s family. 

Doolittle’s Raiders: A Final Toast (Sunday, May 26 at 1:00 pm)

The bottle of 1896 Hennessy Cognac was uncorked in front of hundreds of people. The surviving World War II veterans from one of history’s greatest military missions were about to raise their silver goblets one last time ending a decades long tradition.

A Long March (Sunday, May 26 at 2:00 pm)

Three Filipino-American veterans trace their paths from war to erasure by the U.S. Government, marching from an obscured history to the Federal courts, right up to the steps of Congress in search of promises denied. 

Village of Death: Oradour-Sur-Glane 1944 (Sunday, May 26 at 3:00 pm)

A documentary capturing the lasting impact that the German SS division massacre of 643 innocent civilians had on the region and the world at large.

Music & the Spoken Word: Memorial Day (Sunday, May 26 at 6:30 pm)

National Memorial Day Concert (Sunday, May 26 at 8:00 pm & 9:30 pm)

On the eve of Memorial Day, a star-studded lineup honors the military service and sacrifice of the United States’ men and women in uniform, their families, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. 

Elvis & the USS Arizona (Monday, May 27 at 1:00 pm)

The story of how one of music’s biggest icons helped to establish a USS Arizona memorial.

Story of D-Day Forecast-3 days in June (Monday, May 27 at 2:00 pm)

Discover Ireland’s previously unknown role in the pivotal D-Day military invasion.

Her War, Her Story WWII (Monday, May 27 at 3:00 pm)

The story of women in history’s most violent conflict, told by those who served.

Heroes on Deck: WWII on Lake Michigan (Monday, May 27 at 4:00 pm)

More than 100 WWII aircraft rest on the bottom of Lake Michigan just off the Chicago shoreline. This is the story of how they got there.

About WPBS

WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.