National Geographic Channel to devote May 21 to V-E Day programming

On Thursday, May 21, the premieres of two primetime specials will serve as the climax of the National Geographic Channel’s day of programming around the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

“WWII in Europe: Voices from the Front” at 8 p.m. ET is narrated by Bob Woodruff of ABC News, who received the American Legion National Commander’s Public Relations Award in 2013. The special features first-person accounts by World War II veterans on all sides of the conflict, including of V-E Day itself.

“Heroes of the Sky: The Mighty Eighth Air Force” at 9 p.m. ET covers the airmen who played a large role in the air war in Europe. According to a press release from the network, “Integrating the airmen’s own words from personal diary entries, letters to loved ones and previous interviews, the special seamlessly draws from more than 1,000 hours of rare and never-before-seen intimate footage.”

Other programming that day includes premieres of the “Europe from Above” series, and airings of specials like “Nazi Underworld,” “Inside the SS: Rise to Power” and “Hitler’s Last Year.” Check the channel’s website for complete listings.

The 75th anniversary of the end of World War II will provoke retrospectives and other commemorations throughout America in 2020 – including serving as the focus of the September issue of The American Legion Magazine, which will cover both the war and after, when the GIs came home and joined the Legion.