They Drew Fire

Combat Artists of World War II

Friday: 4:oo pm  –  Rock County Historical Society
Sunday:  12:00 pm  –  Cheese People/ Nikki’s Café

Category: Documentary
Country: Canada
Language: English
Rating: 
Runtime: 56 min.
Director:  Brian Lanker
Producer:  Bonni Cohen
Website:  They Drew Fire

During World War II more than 100 U.S. servicemen and civilians served as ‘combat artists’. They depicted the war as they experienced it with their paintbrushes and pens. Their stories have never been told, and for fifty years their artwork, consisting of more than 12,000 pieces has been largely forgotten — until now.

This Web site is a companion to the PBS documentary They Drew Fire, which originally aired in May 2000. Here you will find an extensive art gallery displaying the pieces shown in the film, as well as other paintings by the combat artists. Many of these images have been hidden from the public eye since the time of the war. In addition, biographies of the artists themselves help fill out their stories as seen in the film. The site also provides a page of resources, including information about the history of World War II combat art programs, addresses of museums where the art is kept, and information about the filmmakers, for viewers interested in learning more.