MORTENSON

Jewish World War II vet film needs funds

Hillsboro non-profit’s earlier work honored

By PAUL HAIST

article created on: 2009-02-15T00:00:00

Gary Mortenson’s wife is Jewish and it is that fact, he said, and the memorial service for one of his Jewish in-laws who served in World War II that sparked his interest in the role played by Jews in the U.S. military during World War II.

Mortenson’s interest arises also from the fact he is the president the National Combat History Archives, a Hillsboro-based non-profit founded by Scot Laney, a local businessman, to collect, preserve and disseminate military combat and related film, photographs and personal memoirs.

At present, Mortenson is engaged, along with Lucky Forward Films, the archive’s film unit, in the production of a documentary film, “The Bronze Star of David,” that will chronicle the personal history of some Jewish soldiers while telling the larger story of the overall Jewish contribution.

“We want to tell the story that over 550,000 Jews served in the military in World War II, and that over 50,000 of them received a high level of commendation,” said Mortenson who stressed that the story is not well known.

Mortenson said he and his crew have worked closely with the Oregon Jewish Museum and have identified many Portland-area World War II Jewish veterans as interview candidates.

He mentioned, among others, Jewish Review Board Member Henry Blauer who served in the Army Signal Corps in the South Pacific; Paul Meyer, an Army machine gunner wounded in the Battle of the Bulge; Herb Newmark, a Navy Corsair pilot, Bernard Carr who served in an Army reconnaissance outfit in Italy and Gen. Fred Rosenbaum who served as an enlisted man in the Army in the South Pacific before going on to a distinguished career in the Air National Guard.

Mortenson said “Bronze Star of David” will follow the model of the archive’s earlier award-winning “This is War: Memories of Iraq,” which follows the deployment of the Oregon National Guard 2-162nd Infantry Regiment to Iraq and back. That film blended digital footage made by Oregon soldiers in Iraq with still photos and interviews. Mortenson said some of the soldiers Velcroed video cameras to their helmets, which resulted in some graphically explicit footage. Excerpts can be viewed online at youtube.com

Some of the Oregon World War II veterans contacted by the archive report that their on-camera interviews have been delayed while the filmmakers look for additional funding.

Mortenson acknowledged that the project needs additional funds now if they are to stay on schedule for the annual GI Film Festival in Washington, D.C., in May.

The film festival deadline isn’t the only pressure the filmmakers are feeling.

“We’re trying to get it done yesterday,” said Mortenson. Our time is running out; each day is one less person we’re able to reach.”

Producing a good documentary can be extremely expensive, easily upwards of $1 million.

Mortenson said “Bronze Star of David,” will come in at substantially less than half that amount, owing significantly to their ability to draw on existing archive resources.

Much of the total cost derives from the filmmakers’ commitment to donate 10,000 copies of the film to schools, Jewish congregations and similar venues.

What they need to finish the film is less than one-third of the estimated total cost, about $150,000. Finishing the film will make it easier to raise the balance needed to distribute the film, according to Mortenson.

He stressed that the film is a not-for-profit enterprise.

“Our interest is not in making a buck, but to place this film anywhere we can and give these veterans the credit they are due,” said Mortenson. “Our dream is to educate people. This is a film that is way overdue.”

Learn more about this project at the archive’s Web site: www.combatarchive.com. To learn how you can help complete the film, call Mortenson at 503-597-7030 or reach him by email at info@combatarchive.com.

Besides help in finishing the film, the archive wants one other thing.

“We encourage all Jews from all wars to let us copy their materials. It’s important that legacies are not lost,” said Mortenson. “Then they are not open to revisionism. Then it’s difficult to change history.

Veterans or their heirs with materials to share should use the above contact information.