will.illinois.edu/prairiefire/episode/pf2007-04-26 WILL, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Series Episode WILL travels to Chanute Air Force Base to learn about the Tuskegee Airmen; we go to an event where American families can see and talk with their family members serving in Iraq; we talk with women who worked at the Sangamon Ordnance plant in World War II. Abstract Segment Family history, History, Illinois Culture/History, Military, Springfield, WILL Custom Prairie Fire Subject Headings I’ve driven I-72 between Springfield and Champaign thousands of times and many times I wondered about the lone brick smokestacks that appear on the horizon near Illiopolis. So one day I decided to investigate and I got off at Illiopolis and went to the city library. There I learned about the Sangamon Ordnance Plant. The library had a treasure trove of old company newsletters with pictures of all the young women who made this small town their home during World War II. Thankfully I was able to track down Jean Gordon and Lola Marbold who used to work at the plant as teenagers. Their recollections of life at the plant turned back time to another era. I was impressed at the way the plant treated their many young female employees with good pay, child care, even bingo classes and a beauty salon in the company dorms. To the girls, it was an adventure but also a way to help the war effort. After the show aired my mom told me that my Grandpa Posegate had worked at the plant. Since he was deaf in one ear he was ineligible for service . So instead, after a day teaching school in Springfield, he would hop on the inter-urban line to Illiopolis and work the night shift at the Ordnance Plant. It was his way of fighting the war.  Abstract Alison Davis Wood Producer Segment Military, WILL Custom Prairie Fire Subject Headings I knew the See Your Soldier event was going to be an emotionally charged shoot as we were filming families and friends of soldiers stationed in Iraq, many of whom hadn’t seen their loved ones for many months. The NCSA had arranged one particular teleconference that all of the media would film at the same time I was surprised at what a large turnout there was for the filming – there were three professional camera people and another four or five print reporters there in addition to myself. The number of media people in the relatively small teleconference room made everything a little chaotic, but you could still clearly see how much the teleconference meant to the family members and the soldier we filmed. After this official media filming was over and the family left the teleconference room, I stayed behind to do some follow-up interviews with some of the family members. I then heard that the family that was now in the teleconference room was actually the sister and 4-year-old son of a mother and father who were BOTH serving in Iraq. I had never even considered a situation like in which a child’s parents could both be serving and in harm’s way. I was able to get a short interview with them as well (although their son, not surprisingly, was very tired and distracted by the time I was able to interview them). I was surprised to learn that the soldiers serving at the two camps in Iraq that were participating in the See Your Soldier program were actually wired and that soldiers could have Internet connections in their rooms (paid for by their families back home). So many soldiers would text message or e-mail their families back here regularly. It gives you a new perspective on the whole “letters from the front lines” idea from previous wars. What struck me the most about the event was how natural the interactions seemed between the soldiers and their families. A number of the participants mentioned how, thanks to the big screen and quick video connection, it was like being in the same room with their soldier. What also struck me was how everyone involved was interested in coming back to participate in the program the next time they held one – but also hoping that they wouldn’t need to.  Abstract Steve Drake Producer Segment Ethnicity/Culture, History, Illinois Culture/History, Military, Rantoul, WILL Custom Prairie Fire Subject Headings I knew of the Tuskegee Airmen, and that they integrated the military. But prior to covering the grand opening of an exhibit in Rantoul last year, I had no idea about their roots in this area. Before they trained in Alabama, more than 200 members of the 99th Pursuit Squadron got their start at Chanute Air Force Base. The metal mechanics, armors, and other ground support crew workers formed the foundation of the Tuskegee Airmen. Some of the first to train in Rantoul, as well as staff members at that site – now the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum – played a large role in making this story possible, by providing their descriptions and photos. Props as well to Chauncey E. Spencer II, whose father played a role in tearing down the barriers that kept African-Americans from serving as pilots (Chauncey Jr. provided some photos, as well as an archived interview with his late father.) I hope Chanute gets a lot more attention for its role in making all this happen. The story of the 99th is as important as any other highlighting the pilots’ achievements during World War II.  Abstract Jeff Bossert Producer WILL-TV, University of Illinois Copyright Holder Publisher ¬© 2008 University of Illinois 2007-04-26T10:40:00-06:00 2007-04-26T10:40:00-06:00 video/mp4 http://willmedia.atlas.uiuc.edu/mpeg4/pf2007-04-26.mp4 Moving Image MPEG video MPEG-4 00:28 eng pf2007-04-26.mp4 WILL Public Media, University of Illinois 2007-04-26T10:40:00-06:00 2007-04-26T10:40:00-06:00 video/x-flv http://willmedia.atlas.uiuc.edu/flash/pf2007-04-26.flv Moving Image Flash Video Flash Media 8 00:28 eng pf2007-04-26.flv WILL Public Media, University of Illinois 2007-04-26T10:40:00-06:00 2007-04-26T10:40:00-06:00 video/vnd.rn-realvideo http://willmedia.will.uiuc.edu/ramgen/pf2007-04-26.rv Moving Image 00:28:00