With about 184,000 South Carolinians serving in World War II, and thousands more who moved here after the war, ETV and The State newspaper partnered together to tell the stories of these veterans in their own words. The result is a new Emmy-nominated documentary series – “South Carolinians in World War II.”
Episode II, “A New Front,” airs at 9 p.m. on May 26, on ETV, with re-broadcast on Memorial Day, May 30, on The South Carolina Channel at 9 p.m. and ETV at 10 p.m.
The documentary follows 20 South Carolina veterans from the bitter fighting in Italy to the epic invasion of France on D-Day. It also includes the story of doctors and nurses in World War II, and women working at the Charleston Navy Yard.
Two of the veterans featured in this second episode are from Beaufort County:
• Charles Stockell from Beaufort: An artillery spotter for the 28th Field Artillery Battalion during the war. He landed on Omaha Beach and would go on to fight in the Battle of the Bulge.
• Dominick Rufrano of Sun City Hilton Head Island: Rufrano entered the Army at 17 years old in 1942 and served in the 45th Division and 179th Infantry. Originally from New York, he was raised in an orphanage. During the war, he fought in Italy on Anzio Beach and at Monte Cassino.
The “South Carolinians in World War II” series is part of a larger effort by ETV and The State newspaper to collect the stories of South Carolina veterans. The first episode, “A Time to Fight” debuted on Veterans Day 2010 and recently garnered a Southeast Regional Emmy nomination. The third installment will air later in 2011.
“South Carolinians in World War II” was funded in part by Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina.
