Historical Profiles
5 Episodes
This series of short films tells the story of the veterans whose actions helped shape the future of the U.S. military. These American patriots stories include the Civil War espionage tale of actress Brevet Major Pauline Cushman-Fryer, the campaign of the Buffalo Soldiers in the conquest of the Apache tribes during the Indian Wars, the stories of the African American Soldiers that decided to fight as Buffalo Soldiers despite segregation and racism, the heroic actions of Frederick Funston in the rescue operations of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and the submarine warfare efforts of Admiral Chester-Nimitz.
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05:11Episode 1Brevet Major Pauline Cushman-Fryer
Episode 1
Directed by Allyce Ondricka
Performed by Constance Smith, Pauline Cushman-Fryer tells us how she became a Union Spy, was almost hanged, was granted the rank of Major by Abraham Lincoln, and died lonely in San Francisco from an overdose of opium.
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04:40Episode 2Fighting Fred Funston
Episode 2
Directed by Andrés Gallegos
On April 18th, 1906, San Francisco witnessed its most devastating natural disaster – an earthquake that initiated a city-wide fire. The commanding officer of the U.S. Army base at the Presidio, Fred Funston, gathered citizens to fight the fire, patrol the streets, and...
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Carson Bigbee: The Pirate of America's Pastime
Episode 3
Directed by Robert Barbarino
In a time when America was on the brink of modernization, Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee emerged from rural Oregon to become an embodiment of national transformation. Born to working parents in 1895, Bigbee’s life as a multi-sport athlete, a baseball star with the Pittsburg...
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05:57Episode 4Admiral Chester Nimitz
Episode 4
Directed by Alexander Zane Irwin
Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz used submarines, a vessel used to great effect by Germany in WWI and WWII to turn the tide of the War in the Pacific.
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Samuel Wilder King: Fighting for Statehood
Episode 5
Directed by Carolina Gratianne
Samuel Wilder King, a descendant of Scottish sailors and Hawaiian royalty, served as a distinguished Naval officer in both World Wars before becoming Governor of the Hawaii Territory. This short film delves into King’s fearless leadership—from navigating the high s...
