Aug. 7, 2008

Had it not been for bad weather that delayed his submarine for four hours on Dec. 7, 1941, Marquette resident Captain David McLintock and his crew would have sailed directly into the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. When their sub finally entered the harbor, two days after the attack, McLintock recalled: "We passed the Oklahoma, bottom up ... (and) my old ship, the Arizona, which was still burning."

Sonya Chrisman, an Emmy Award-winning producer and host of WNMU-TV's "Media Meet" and "What's Up" will present "The Making of 'The U.P. Recalls The War'" at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19 at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, in Negaunee Township. Chrisman's program will offer a behind-the-scenes look at research and production of her latest documentary, as well as video selections shown on the museum's large screen.

Depicting life in the Upper Peninsula during World War II and the experiences of the region's native sons and daughters who answered their nation's call, the documentary combines vintage newsreels and film footage with firsthand accounts.

"Since 2001, Sonya Chrisman and WNMU-TV 13 have helped to preserve our region's rich heritage through the production of historical documentaries that have brought into clear focus the mining and logging industries, one-room schoolhouses and social life on the Upper Peninsula," said Tom Friggens, a regional manager with the Michigan Historical Center. "The story of how these extraordinary videos are made provides a intriguing 'behind the scenes' view of documentary production."

Chrisman and her production team traveled across the U.P. interviewing veterans, historians and others who lived through the war years. The documentary received top honors from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, earning its 2008 Broadcast Excellence Award.

The program begins at 2 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are encouraged and proceeds will go to support museum education programs.

The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center, a public, non-profit facility of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries. It is located at 73 Forge Road, overlooking the site of the Carp River Forge, a pioneer industrial site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The recently expanded museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information about the summer program series or upcoming events, call (906) 475-7857 or visit online at www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum.

The Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL) is dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity. In addition to the Michigan Historical Center, HAL includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. To learn more, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).