Memorial Day Weekend Tributes On NET TV, Radio

NET Television and NET Radio will honor members of the armed forces with special programming on Memorial Day weekend.

It begins at 6 p.m. Saturday with patriotic music on the "Lawrence Welk Show." At 7:30 p.m., an NET production, "The Canteen Spirit," chronicles the story of the World War II North Platte Canteen. The canteen made history when residents of 125 communities from across the state welcomed more than six million soldiers who passed through North Platte on their way to serve in World War II.

Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on NET1, "Pacific War: They Filmed the War in Color" tells the two-part story of the Pacific war from the front line and in full color. To add urgency to the war efforts, President Roosevelt took drastic action by lifting the decades-old press ban on showing the corpses of American soldiers. Roosevelt also sent cameras to the front lines to create a first-hand documentary of the war.

Five surviving American soldiers recount their experiences of D-Day in "D-Day: The Price of Freedom," on Sunday at 6 p.m. on NET1.

At 7 p.m. Sunday, "The National Memorial Day Concert (2007)," will be broadcast live on NET1 from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. This American tradition is a star-studded tribute in pictures, letters and songs honoring America's servicemen and women. The concert repeats immediately following the first broadcast at 8:30 p.m. on NET1.

At 10 p.m. Sunday, "Air Group 16: We Came to Remember," features pilots, radiomen and gunners who served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lexington in World War II accepting honors at the dedication of the National World War II Memorial. It will be followed by "All Hell Can't Stop Us!" which tells the story of Nebraska's 134th Infantry regiment at Omaha Beach and beyond. The program begins at 10:30 p.m. on NET1

In 1942, two fighter pilots - one American and one Japanese - faced off in a dogfight over Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands. The Japanese pilot shot down the American, who crash-landed behind enemy lines but managed to escape before being captured. At 9 p.m. CT on Monday on NET1, "Secrets of the Dead: Dogfight Over Guadalcanal" re-creates the World War II showdown over the Pacific.

NET Radio will honor servicemen and women by broadcasting "WWI Living History Project" from 12 noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The program honors the sacrifices and contributions of America's last twelve surviving WWI veterans. Aged 105 to 115, the veterans share their reminiscences, humor and wit on this two-hour radio special hosted by veteran journalist Walter Cronkite.

NET2 will also feature a slate of Memorial Day programming. On Saturday at 7 p.m., the NET Television production "On The Frontline: Nebraskans At War in Iraq" tells the compelling stories of the 63 Nebraska National Guard soldiers from Troop A of the 1-167th Calvary. Dangers like roadside bombs and sniper attacks were part of an average day for these Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers.

On Sunday at 11 a.m., "The Canteen Spirit" will be rebroadcast. At 1 p.m., Cronkite and others return to London to see how their work changed the course of history in "City at War: London Calling."

"Afghan Journey: A Story of Friendship," airs Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on NET2. It follows former Lincoln Journal Star reporter Matthew Hansen and photographer Dior Azcuy as they travel to Kabul in October 2005 to explore the connections between Nebraska and Afghanistan for the newspaper.