The First Seven Days

[connie]

I heard recently from our own "Ace" regarding a high tech event that is taking place today Sunday 12/21/14.

The webcast is about the first seven days of the Battle of the Bulge that is happenngi on a 3.5hr live streaming website. "Ace,"who is involved in the production notes it's a " terrific high tech presentation. I just finished shooting a opening interview with Carl's friend Kenneth Johnson and I. Ken's uncle was in the 424th and was killed on 12/16/1944.":

The website is being hosted on Google YouTube under the name of "The First Seven Days". In depth interviews with John Gatens and John Schaffner and other surviving vets lots of video and pictures and also live Q&A's. It's hosted by author Martin King who wrote Voices of the Bulge with Michael Collins. He takes the viewer on a guided tour of the main battle sites in Belgium. Here's 3 links to previews of the event:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTrQu9wOx0o
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5hXg5WzkwA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTPNhvbmuEU

Here's a link via Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SevenDaysProductions

And finally, here's a link you can use on Sunday to join in the festivities:
new.livestream.com/accounts/11116323/events/3614053

Ace also notes: " I guarantee it will be very informational and entertaining. The program focuses on the Parker's Crossroads battle as the end of this program. Hopefully there will be more to come."

UPDATE: WHILE THE WEBCAST DATE HAS PASSED, THERE IS A NEW LINK TO THE VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_350F3nnoLI

[Larry Heider]

Thank you for posting this Connie. The webcast was a huge success as gauged by Ken Johnson and the other creators of this idea. I, unfortunately, had technical issues which prevent me from contribution the photos and book covers of topics as they were being discussed. Kind of disappointing but still an interesting learning experience. One thing I tried to do by making comments at the end of the webcast is the value of the 106th MB and also the 106th Website. They kind on got lost in the use of videos and interviews. The quality of information on this MB is beyond anything else I have found regarding the 106th. And I did understand your comment about needing help with managing this site. I will be able to pick up the pace over the holidays as I have a break in my work schedule for the next 3 weeks. Please let me know if there is anything I can do you help you.

[connie]

Here's a note from Jim West today on this production:

Here is a new look at the Battle of the Bulge with interviews of actual participants, and footage of the battle. It was a webcast just a few days ago. If you didn’t see it, it is most worthy of a look.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_350F3nnoLI

The producer is Kenneth Johnson. Ken is 63 and named after Ken Johnson, 424th, who was KIA at Winterspelt, Germany 16 Dec 1944. Johnson would have been his uncle. This was the initiative for the research at the outset. The research gave rise to a book, "The Last Infantry Division," (unpublished) by Ken Johnson, and that eventually grew into the webcast, "The First Seven Days," alluding to the German attack on the 106th Infantry Division in the area of the Schnee Eifel that began the morning of 16 December 1944. The thread of the webcast features researchers, a battlefield guide, file film, and veterans relating their personal experience under fire.

Jim West
www.IndianaMilitary.org

[jrwentz]

This presentation is well done and I highly recommend it for anyone seeking some understanding of what the soldiers in the 106th Infantry Division did in 1944. The two veterans of the Bulge do a remarkable job answering questions and describing what they were thinking, doing, and feeling during the battle, and what is was like to be a POW. It is 5 hours and 17 minutes long, but it holds your attention. I watched it in three sessions over three evenings. It uses some actual footage from the battle and the host shows what some of the key areas look like today (or at least in 2014).