Small Town Soldiers on KMOT-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader

Small Town Soldiers | Video

Samantha Mehrotra

11/6/2009

After six years of production work, one filmmaker is finally ready to make his big debut.

Cody Shimek, originally from Watford City, is returning to North Dakota this weekend to share a story of nine McKenzie County veterans who fought on the front lines during World War II.

And as you`re about to see, this is a film you don`t want to miss.

World War II seems like a distant memory, but for nine veterans from McKenzie County, it still feels like yesterday.

"Small Town Soldiers" is a documentary made by Watford City native Cody Shimek. His love for history inspired him to go back home to see what stories he could find.

"I`ve always been a World War II buff and a history buff and I`ve done numerous shoots for the History Channel over the years, so while I was doing those shoots, I thought you know what would it be like if I brought my equipment back home and actually captured the stories of the people from my hometown," says Shimek.

And there were many stories to tell. Shimek met several veterans back home, mostly through his family`s connections.

"A lot of the veterans my father knew and the brother of one of them was actually my bus driver," says Shimek. "Another gentleman, Jim Taylor, was a good friend of my Dad`s, and they`d have breakfast together and they worked together sometimes."

There`s no narration in the movie, just veterans retelling their personal experiences on the front line. It was these poignant memories that caught the attention of Rick Collin from the State Historical Society.

"You get to know them. You get a sense of who they are and what their backgrounds were growing up in western North Dakota," says Collin.

Even Shimek was surprised by the impact of the veterans` stories.

"I never thought when I got into this that I`d really be able to tell the entire story of World War II just through my hometown," says Shimek.

And what Shimek has produced is so much more than a film, it`s part of the veterans` legacy.

"A documentary like this is obviously a historic contribution because you`re capturing memories of warriors who were on the front lines, whether it was in the land, sea, or air in the Pacific or European theater," says Collin.

It`s a contribution that will hopefully inspire future generations to remember the cause these veterans fought for.

You can catch a screening of Shimek`s "Small Town Soldiers" tomorrow at the Confluence Center. The program starts at 2:00 p.m.

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