Episode 8: The Way Home

“The Way Home” is the eighth installment of the “South Carolinians in World War II” series, a collective remembrance of World War II chronicled from personal stories of South Carolina veterans. The first episode aired on S.C. ETV in 2010. “The Way Home” covers the Battle for Okinawa, the atomic bomb and the surrender of Japan. It includes the experiences of African American service members, U.S. veterans coming home and messages from them to today’s generation. Produced by SCETV and The State Newspaper.

The Way Home, Part 1
Episode 1

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This segment focuses on the racial discrimination that existed during World War II and how it affected those who served their country. The military was segregated. There were African Americans from...
The Way Home, Part 2
Episode 2

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With its navy destroyed, the Japanese have come to recognize that their last line of defense is through suicide attacks on American ships. From the American ships, the kamikazes looked like a swarm of...
The Way Home, Part 3
Episode 3

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Okinawa was the final Japanese island before the mainland. It would be the largest amphibious invasion in history. The Americans had to control the air and the water. The orders came that the...
The Way Home, Part 4
Episode 4

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Our veterans discuss the era in which the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their recollections of this time..
The Way Home, Part 5
Episode 5

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On August 11, 1945, the Emperor of Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration, which specified the unconditional surrender of Japan. The war was over, the Americans rejoiced, and the troops headed home...
The Way Home, Part 6
Episode 6

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Veterans provide advice to future generations, and reflect on the responsibilities that come with freedom, and their wishes for a world without war. They remember those who didn't survive, and they...