MOVIE GIVEAWAY CONTEST: Papa said,"We should never forget."

Papa said, "We should never forget." from David Druckenmiller on Vimeo.

Dr. Eric Groce is flying off to France. It's a research trip. And guess who's jealous!

Oui! C'est moi

Eric teaches Social Studies to Elementary Education majors at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. A few years ago, he bumped into my editor at the National Council for the Social Studies Conference. I wasn't there but I think Carolyn handed him a copy of BLUE and since then, he's made it required reading in his classes.

As Dr. Groce tells his students, "Historical fiction is a great complement to the textbook and nonfiction sources because it brings out the humanity in history."

I'm not unhappy about this attitude. Besides the BLUE and COMFORT sales he's generated, I've learned some things from Eric. Such as how to do research in a foreign land through an interpreter. (Little dream of mine). Eric has made six previous trips to France because of a piece of history that captured his heart.

It's a D-Day story from the French perspective. The story of what happened when 200 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne dropped in on the small village of Graignes, way off their target drop zone. And how the villagers aided the Allied forces in their liberation. Eric began searching for eye witnesses and discovered Marthe who, at the time, was 12 years old. He asked to interview her and Marthe said, "Sure, come to Normandy." …or something along those lines.

He went five times; conducting interviews, visiting museums, digitizing primary source documents, and eating plenty of good Norman cooking! The sixth trip was to make a short movie of the story. The 24 minute movie debuted on Georgia PBS stations last year and is shown daily at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, GA.

Eric is now fine tuning his fictional account of this event and preparing it for submission to an editor. Oh, to have a movie made of my book before it is published! (Or anytime, for that matter.)

Anyway, you can own this DVD. While Eric is in France researching his next book, a nonfiction account of children who lived during the occupation years (1940-1944), I'll be running a contest to give away a copy of Papa said, "We should never forget." It's a great story - so well done. It even won a Southeast Regional Emmy for photography. So drop in here with a comment - include the word "parachute" in your comment and I'll enter you into a drawing. Winner will be chosen on February 20.

There's just one condition.

We want this to reach students. So, if you're not a teacher or librarian please share it with someone who is. You don't have to GIVE it. Just loan it to a class who is studying WWII. And later, you can loan it again to another group. Spread this heartwarming story around because it brings out the humanity in history.

And speaking of humanity, I'll post Eric's pic here in a few days. Along with updates of his "right there, right now" research experience in France.