Home Away From Home: The Yanks in Ireland

Music, myth, and memory mix as one of the last great untold World War II stories unfolds against an Irish landscape. Three hundred thousand American servicemen and women served in Northern Ireland from 1942 to 1945.

 

 

LENGTH: 58 Minutes
MSRP: $24.95
CATALOG #: 20482
UPC #: 6-4603204829-2
ISBN #: 1-56839-406-3
RELEASE YEAR: 2011
PRODUCER: Kelly Films

Soldiers trained for the invasion of North Africa  and Normandy, sailors fought the Battle of the Atlantic and U.S. airmen flew coastal patrols from Northern Ireland ports and bases. History has forgotten much of this, but the people still remember. And now GIs themselves return to Northern Ireland to complete the tale.

Introduced by Walter Cronkite, who was himself a “Yank in Ireland,” the program follows World War II veterans back to their “Home Away From Home.” Secrets are revealed and old loves renewed in these moving stories. Rare photographs and archival film help tell the stories.

Reviews

“Extraordinarily touching and evocative.”  – Neil Hickey, TV Guide, Film & TV Critic
“Buoyant and utterly charming.” – Kathleen Carroll, NY Daily News, Film & Television Critic

Originally produced in 1993, this documentary tells the story of American servicemen in Ireland during the Second World War. One learns about the missions and experiences from the standpoint of veterans returning for a 50-year reunion. Highlights include the war against German submarines, the spotting of the Bismarck, the formation of the Rangers, and the capture of U-505.

Of particular interest was the experience of the men of the U.S.S. Mason, a destroyer manned exclusively by blacks. Their reminiscences of the whole-hearted welcome they received from the Irish, at a time when American whites treated them execrably, were moving.

Seeing it through the eyes of aged veterans gives one a different feel than more immediate presentations of World War II. This has a value of its own, but may make it less suitable for classroom use. The video is well done, and suffers no technical shortcomings. Recommended - Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO)

Tagged as: Battle of the Atlantic, Home Away FRom Home the Yanks in Ireland, Normandy, world war II