# Upcoming Korea Documentaries



## Edward Campbell (7 Sep 2013)

I just received this on The Regimental Net:

"The purpose of this message is to give you early warning (so that you can get your recliners ready!) about two documentary films upcoming during Remembrance Week that will focus on one of the most heroic battles fought by Canadian soldiers and The Regiment during the Korean War.  

The first film is titled 28 Heroes and will be shown on The History Channel,-- exact date and time still to be determined.  It tells the story of the "Battle of the Outpost" at Song-gok Spur of 2-3 Nov 1951. Here, Lt. Ed Mastronardi, 2 Platoon Commander, A Coy, 2 RCR, led his 28 men in a magnificent holding action against a Chinese full scale Battalion attack. (See Vol II, Regimental history, pg 235.) Ed's gallant leadership in this action led to his being decorated with the Military Cross. For filming purposes, battle segments were re-enacted at Camp Meaford, where the Song-gok outpost and surrounding terrain were re-created, with Ed himself providing military-technical advice and commentary.  

For those of you who can't wait till Remembrance Week or hate uncertainty, you'll be able to see a "pre-release" of 28 Heroes on 1 Nov at Camp Meaford.  Ed will be the guest of honour for what will be a kind of "Meaford Film Gala" replete I expect with plenty of Asahi beer, or at least Creemore!  I'm hoping that a number of our Branch members, especially our Korea vets, will be able to make it up to Meaford to join Ed for this grand premiere opening night affair. 

The second upcoming film is a much more personal one about Ed, in which he tells his life story and the circumstances leading up to his service in the Korean War, and what transpired afterwards. The producer is the award winning documentary film maker Roxana Spicer, who shot much of the film just a couple of weeks ago at the Rideau-Perley Veterans Home, where Ed now resides. I observed the making of the film (see attached pix) and can assure you that Ed tells a most gripping story, not only of the battle but of the splendid soldiers that who made up his platoon.  Broadcast details for this documentary are much firmer, with it scheduled for 7 pm on Saturday, November 9th on the Global TV Network's public affairs program "16 x9."   The tentative title Roxana has given her work is, fittingly, The 29th Hero."


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