The Thunderbolts of Millville
On NJN Public Television
Sunday, June 6, at 9 pm;
Rebroadcast Tuesday, June 8, at 6:30 pm

STATEWIDE – NJN is proud to present The Thunderbolts of Millville, an original production thattells the story of the Millville Army Air Field and the impact of the Second World War on the civilians of Millville, New Jersey. The Thunderbolts of Millville airs on NJN on Sunday, June 6, 2004 , at 9 pm , and is rebroadcast on Tuesday, June 8, at 6:30 pm . The half-hour documentary was produced by NJN’s Emmy award-winning team of Lou Presti, producer; Jeff Reisly, video editor; and Bob Szuter, screen writer. Guy Robbins, executive director of Millville Army Air Field Museum, is the co-producer. The narrator is Barrett Clark; the original music was created by Robert Sands.

From 1942 to 1945, the Millville Army Air Field trained P-47 pilots, teaching them to fly and attack with their aircraft. The Millville Airport was dedicated " America 's First Defense Airport " on August 2, 1941 . In less than a year, construction of military base facilities began and, in January 1943, the Millville Army Air Field opened as a gunnery school for fighter pilots. Gunnery training began with Curtiss P-40F Warhawk aircraft, but after a few weeks, the P-40s were gone, and the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt ruled the skies over Cumberland County . During its three-year existence, more than 10,000 men and women served there with 1,500 pilots receiving advanced fighter training.

Several pilots, support staff and Millville residents are interviewed in the documentary, their words adding poignancy to the filming. “. . . I do love this place, this air base… I come out here sometimes at night, to get an ice cream cone or something over here, and I lean up against that fence, and I go back to 1943 and 1944, night flying out here. And I look at guys that I flew with or taught to fly at night. And I see the jeep going across the field, we called him mobile control. And I see these guys like it was then – their faces – and I remember the words some of the guys said to me on the radio . . . there’s some fond memories here, believe me,” P 47 pilot Bill Rich reminisces in The Thunderbolts of Millville. “We had the fourteen guys who were killed over there . . . handsome, 18-year-old, 19-year-old, 20-year-old college grads. And they never had a chance in life. And all I can say, it’s hard – what you missed, you guys missed so much. And I never forgot. In connection with the documentary, NJN is creating an online family album and is inviting the public to submit copies of photos or electronic images (no originals) of that special moment in time during World War II when someone you know – father, mother, spouse, sibling or friend – paused for a moment for the camera and was captured on film – forever. In albums and shoeboxes, in attic chests and desk drawers are black and white photos of meaningful personal moments frozen in time – moments that are part of our country’s collective memory of a time when we, individually and as a nation, faced World War II with courage and determination.

Contributors should include a caption with the name(s) of the person(s) in the photo, approximate date of photo, and the contributor’s name, address and phone number. Or images can be emailed to jruscio@njn.org and eyungma@njn.org. Once again, no original photographs. The album will be online in time for Memorial Day. NJN will continue to accept photos until June 30, 2004 .

Photos should be sent to SNAPSHOT!, NJN Marketing Department, NJN Public Television & Radio, PO Box 777 , Trenton, NJ 08625.