PBS Salutes Veterans in Programs Timed to Memorial Day and 70th Anniversary of D-Day

25th NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT Co-hosted by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise

PASADENA, CA; JANUARY 20, 2014 -- PBS today announced a lineup of programming timed to Memorial Day 2014, as well as this year's 70th anniversary of D-Day. The centerpiece of PBS' salute to veterans is the 25th installment of the live broadcast of the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT, co-hosted for the ninth consecutive year by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise. PBS also pays tribute to veterans and their families with COMING BACK WITH WES MOORE, Moore's search for answers to some of the most difficult questions facing returning vets. NOVA will present "D-Day's Sunken Secrets," which follows the collaboration among military historians, archaeologists and specialist divers to survey the underwater wreck sites bordering the D-Day beachheads.

"The history of our country is very much the history of the brave men and women who have fought to protect our rights and our safety, and PBS is proud to share their stories with fellow veterans and the larger public," said Beth Hoppe, PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming. "In the coming months, PBS and CPB will unveil additional programming and resources to serve veterans and their families."

Program descriptions follow:

NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT (2014)

Sunday, May 25, 2014, 8:00-9:30 p.m. ET; rpt. 9:30-11:00 p.m. ET

Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise co-host the 25th anniversary broadcast of this night of remembrance honoring the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, their families at home and all those who have given their lives for our country. They will be joined by an all-star line-up (to be announced) in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. Featuring a unique blend of uplifting musical performances and dramatic readings, the multi- award-winning program airs from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. Mantegna and Sinise are co-hosting for the ninth consecutive year.

COMING BACK WITH WES MOORE

Tuesdays, May 13-27, 2014, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET

COMING BACK WITH WES MOORE, a new three-episode series executive produced by best-selling author and U.S. army veteran Wes Moore, tells the story of his search for answers to some of the most difficult questions facing vets returning from war. Moore's journey, spurred by the suicide of one of his oldest friends and a fellow officer, takes him into the personal lives of different soldiers as they attempt to reintegrate into society, establish new identities and - for many - find a new mission. Each episode focuses on a different stage of coming home: "Coming Back" (May 13), "Fitting In" (May 20) and "Moving Forward" (May 27).

NOVA: D-DAY'S SUNKEN SECRETS

Wednesday, May 28, 2014 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

On June 6, 1944, the Allies launched the D-Day invasion against the heavily defended Normandy beaches to liberate Europe from the Nazis. Throughout the operation, hundreds of ships sank while running the gauntlet of mines and bunkers, creating one of the world's largest underwater archaeological sites. Now, 70 years later, teams of historians, archaeologists, and specialist use submersibles, underwater robots and the latest 3D mapping tools to discover, identify and plot the relics on the sea floor. "D-Day's Sunken Secrets" also highlights the story of an often neglected group of heroes essential to the success of the D-Day invasion and to winning the war: the engineers.

Major funding for COMING BACK WITH WES MOORE is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's (CPB) Diversity and Innovation Fund, which supports content that engages diverse viewers and encourages the use of emerging technologies to reach new audiences, and PBS.

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