Join Us in Saluting America's War Veterans ... Veterans Day on The History Channel(R)

Join Us in Saluting America's War Veterans ... Veterans Day on The History Channel(R)

Special Programming Thursday, November 10 and Friday, November 11, 2005

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout American history, soldiers have given life and limb to secure freedom and prosperity in the United States. They've braved the jungles, seas, deserts, and forests for generations, and we stop every year in November to honor their efforts. This year, join The History Channel in saluting America's war veterans with a special day of programming, including two new world premieres and a special awards presentation on VETERANS DAY, with programming beginning at 10 p.m., Thursday November 10, 2005.

Highlights of VETERANS DAY on The History Channel include:

CITIZEN SOLDIERS (Thursday, November 10, at 10:00 p.m.) - They call them "Weekend Warriors," but America's National Guard and Reserves make up almost 40% of the active duty forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both the National Guard and the Army Reserves have a long, rich history that has spanned generations of men and women supporting their country in times of need. The National Guard descends from the early militias which predate the American Revolutionary War. Each state has a National Guard to provide assistance and security in times of emergency. The Guard has fought in every war in American history. The Reserves have a proud heritage as well. Originally formed to augment the major branches of the active military in the performance of their mission, they play a crucial role in national security. Today, they continue to be an essential force in our nation's defense, abroad as well as here at home.

THE LAST STAND OF THE TIN CAN SAILORS (Friday, November 11, at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.) - This is the remarkable story of the tiny U.S. fleet that staged the greatest upset victory in the history of naval warfare. Facing sure destruction off the Philippines at the hands of a massive Japanese fleet that included the most powerful battleship ever built, the Yamato, seven overmatched U.S. destroyers and destroyer escorts (or "tin cans" in Navy speak) charged the Japanese head-on. In the Battle off Samar, a steel shattering two-hour daylight surface engagement, the last ever fought, the task unit known as "Taffy 3" saved General Douglas MacArthur's invasion force and, at a cost of five stout ships and 850 sailors, etched its name in U.S. Navy legend.

MAIL CALL: ERMEY'S VIETNAM (Friday, November 11, at 8 p.m.) - Famed U.S. Marine Corps Drill Instructor R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket) returns to Vietnam for the first time in 35 years in a special edition of MAIL CALL. Ermey tours the famous landmarks of a dubious war -- The Ho Chi Minh Trail, The Hanoi Hilton, Freedom Hill, Danang Air Base, and Camp Evans -- recounting his memories and attempting to give perspective to the issues Americans still struggle with more than three decades after their troops came home. He will also answer viewer mail along the way.

HEROES UNDER FIRE: JUNGLE AMBUSH (Friday, November 11, at 10 p.m.) - Top- secret United States Special Forces cross into Laos during the Vietnam War to silently track a North Vietnamese battalion, but quickly realize they've fallen into a deadly trap. Outnumbered a thousand to one, they must fight a ferocious and seemingly un-winnable battle even as the helicopters sent to rescue them are ambushed. Find out how normal men became heroes and sacrificed everything for each other.

Now reaching more than 88 million Nielsen subscribers, The History Channel(R), "Where the Past Comes Alive(R)," brings history to life in a powerful manner and provides an inviting place where people experience history personally and connect their own lives to the great lives and events of the past. The History Channel has earned six News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's "Save Our History(R)" campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel web site is located at www.History.com. Press Only: For more information and photography please visit us on the web at www.historychannelpress.com.

Source: The History Channel

CONTACT: Ashley Gillen, +1-212-907-9445, Ashley.Gillen@aetn.com, for The History Channel

Web site: http://www.history.com/ http://www.historychannelpress.com/

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