Roots Television | Og Blog

We can't help but notice that Jordan Auslander of Heir Jordan, Extreme Genealogy is a viewer favorite. So we're delighted to announce that there's more of him available for your viewing pleasure! After his turn in the NEW! spotlight, you'll be able to find him under the Shorts tab in the Roots Living show category.

Hank Jones was featured in the first episode of Roots Books (see the Roots Books tab under the Roots Living show category and scroll down to the Psychic Roots segments) -- and it's no secret that he's a crowd favorite.

So if you don't have enough patience to wait for the next episode that features him (yes, we have another!), you might want to go get a fix at UltimateDisney where you can learn all about Hank's "Disney Daze" in a two-part interview!

In honor of Veterans Day which is fast approaching in the U.S. (on 11/11), we've launched a collection of shows with a military theme. Freshly added under the New! and Military Roots tabs under the Roots Living category, you'll find:

-- An Interview with Andrew Carroll (award-winning author of War Letters and founder of The Legacy Project)

-- Online Revolutionary War Research -- a lecture by crowd favorite Curt Witcher

-- Civil War Ancestors Online -- a lecture by nationally known genealogist Amy Johnson Crow

-- The Great Eight -- an inspiring documentary about the crew team from the Naval Academy who stunned everyone by winning the 1952 Olympic gold medal

-- Ancestors 1: Military and Census Records

-- Ancestors 2: Military Records

And there's more coming, so be sure to use that scroll bar to see what else we might have snuck in there since you last looked! We'll tell you more about a few of the shows over the course of the next week, so you can discover which ones might be of greatest interest to you. Also, be sure to keep an eye on our Roots Video Vlog as well for military-oriented videos that will be added on a daily basis.

We hope you enjoy these latest additions to Roots Television and take a moment to tell your old Army buddies, friends at the local genealogical society, or just anyone with an interest in military history and roots to take a peek. And don't forget to enter our contest while you're at it!

Have you had a chance to take a look at our special military line-up yet? If not, you'll want to be sure to explore. There are new shows and features under the New!, Military Roots, and Military Features tabs under Roots Living.

Right now, we've got an interview with Andrew Carroll highlighted in the New! section. Many of you are probably familiar with Andy's best-selling books Letters of a Nation, War Letters, and Behind the Lines. His latest is Operation Homecoming and he's on the road doing a book tour at the moment.

When you watch his interview, you'll discover that Andy first became interested in letters when a fire destroyed his family's home in Washington, D.C. and what he most missed were the irreplaceable letters. From there, it was a slippery slope for him and we have Andy to thank for the collection and preservation of more than 75,000 war letters (through his initiative, The Legacy Project) from a variety of conflicts around the globe.

If you haven't yet, you'll want to enter the Roots Television contest we're holding for a chance to win a signed copy of one of Andrew's books. But before you do, why not spend a few minutes with Andy in his office and take a tour of some of the amazing letters he's rescued?

Its name isn't quite as widely known as Treblinka, Auschwitz and Dachau, but Sobibor was another of the notorious Nazi concentration camps. This 1987 feature film, starring Alan Arkin, tells the story of the biggest and most successful prisoner revolt that ever took place -- over 300 escaped on an October day in 1943. Some may find it a tad graphic, but that's a reflection of the reality. In the final analysis, it's a gritty but inspiring film -- and a story that should be told.

To view it, click on the Military Features tab under Roots Living.

If you're one of the many who didn't catch all the episodes of Ancestors II when it came out a few years ago, you're going to want to watch the military episode we're featuring. Not only will you learn some of the whys and wherefores of military research, you'll also be treated to the remarkable story of Susan Hadler who lost her father in WWII. Her only knowledge of her father was a letter he had written from the battlefield welcoming her to the world shortly after her birth, so she used genealogy to meet this wonderful man and come to know him in a way she never had. It gets us every time.

If you're American, chances are that you've heard of the Sullivan brothers of Waterloo, Iowa. Five brothers born between 1914 and 1922, they all served and perished on the same ship in the U.S. Navy in WWII. As a result of their loss, Congress passed the so-called Sullivan Law, preventing family members from serving on the same ship, so that no family would be so devasted again. In spite of their loss, the brothers' parents made appearances in support of the war effort.

To watch the whole story of these heroic brothers, select the Roots Living category and click on the Military Features tab.

As part of our special military line-up here at Roots Television, we've been adding not only original programming, episodes from both of the PBS Ancestors series, and even feature films, but also a number of videos at our Roots Video vlog this week.

Among other videos, you'll find a Commonwealth Remembrance, an interview with John Weir (a Canadian participant in "the great escape" from a German POW camp), an interview with men who served in the Merchant Marines, and even interviews with survivors of the Battle of the Somme from WWI.

If you haven't already, please take time to explore -- and let all your military buddies know as well!

If you're just getting started in family history research, you'll want to check out the Research Process series (just select the How To category and click on the Research Process tab). There you'll find a total of 26 segments that guide you through the whole process.

Better yet, the segments are bite-size -- lasting anywhere from half a minute to 8.5 minutes -- so you can digest just a little at a time or the whole thing at once, if you're so inclined!

We've also heard from a few genealogical and historical societies who have also found this series useful to recommend to their new -- and even existing -- members.

If you haven’t found the time to see The Great Eight yet, these notes from the director (and Roots TV founder) Marcy Brown may just be the motivation you need:

Being the one who had the great privilege of orchestrating the making of The Great Eight documentary, I speak from experience when I say I know what it's like to be a mere mortal in the midst of living legends. I was surrounded by champions, both on and off-screen, and it seems fitting to offer up a personal tribute to those who made it happen.

First, there’s the Great Eight crew. What an extraordinary group of men! Those who have seen the film know their 1952 Olympic story. What is not so well known is that they made an attempt to go for the gold in ‘56 as well. It was a long shot, given the fact that they had gone their separate ways and only had a short time to prepare. A few days before the qualifying race, Willie Fields broke his hand playing softball, and on the day of the race Wayne Frye woke up with a blistering fever. Undaunted (apparently none of them knew the word “quit!”) they entered the race, Willie with his arm in a cast and Wayne doubled over in pain. No, they didn’t win, but they came in a close third behind Cornell and Yale, the crew that went on to win the gold medal in Australia. After the race, Wayne was rushed to the hospital with a ruptured appendix.

Behind the scenes there were other champions. Executive Producer Stephen Peet was a veteran BBC producer who pioneered the art of oral history filmmaking. His life and achievements will be honored at a special program in London next month.

Co-producer Valerie Anders claims a husband who has been to the moon! Astronaut William Anders was part of the Apollo 8 crew that delivered the historic 1968 Christmas Eve reading from the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Bill and Valerie have been lifelong friends and fans of the Great Eight, and their support in making this film was invaluable.

And finally, Gregory Peck. Gregory Peck rowed with the Cal crew during his college years and often said he considered himself more of a rower than an actor. A true gentleman in every respect, he graciously declined providing a picture of himself for the closing credits. He said the film was about the greatest American crew that ever raced, and he wouldn’t think of pretending to be in their class.

A highlight for me was the "chat" after the recording session when I raised the topic of my favorite scene from To Kill A Mockingbird. Mr. Peck casually leaned across the hood of his Mercedes, assumed his Atticus Finch character, and flawlessly delivered lines from his famous jury scene. He finished with a commanding 'Do Your Duty!'

It was a pinch-me-because-I’m-sure-this-can’t-really-be-happening moment for me, but also a perfect capstone to an incredible experience. "Do your duty," is an everyday way of life in the company of champions. Hopefully this film has captured in some small way just a portion of the true "greatness" behind it.

Marcy Brown with Gregory Peck and Bob Detweiler

Genetealogy, or the study of genetic genealogy, uses DNA testing to look into your roots. This week on Roots Television, Schelly Talalaly Dardashti, board member of the IAJGS, reports on the recent International Conference on Genetic Genealogy, sponsored by Family Tree DNA in Houston. Schelly gives a brief introduction to the more than 240 surname group projects represented at the conference, and reviews a presentation on bio-ethics and DNA testing given by Josephine Johnston of The Hastings Center in New York.

If you're a budding genetealogist, you may also be interested in the UVA Newsmakers lecture by Dr. Eugene Foster. It was Dr. Foster and his colleagues who first used DNA testing to look into the Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings case. On a more personal note, you can watch DNA Stories - A Tale of Two Fathers, as Bob Zins tells of his search for the truth.

You can see Schelly's interview, along with these other genetic genealogy programs, in the DNA section.

Congratulations are in order for the winners of the Roots Television Military Week contest:

Martin B. of Nebraska
Laura M. of Michigan
David R. of California
Joanne S., also of Nebraska
Jim O. of Ontario, Canada
and....

Edward B. of ?

They are now the proud owners of one of Andrew Carroll's award-winning books. And if you're out there Edward B. of ?, please email us your contact information so that we can send you your prize!

Thanks to all those who entered!

Check out what renowned genealogist Dear Myrtle has to say about Roots Television! We're blushing from her praise!

Did you know that Thanksgiving is National Family History Day in the U.S.? What better time to gather family stories and tall tales than while eating your fifth piece of pumpkin pie and ignoring the mountain of dishes in the kitchen. This holiday season, pull out your camcorder, cassete recorder, reel-to-reel, gramophone, or hammer and chisel, and make sure you record your favorite family legends before they fade away!

To help you get started, we are airing a special "Living History" lineup of programs. At the top of our list is Grand Generation, by Academy-Award-winning filmmaker Paul Wagner. Many of you may have seen some of his other work, such as The Stone Carvers and Out of Ireland. Grand Generation is oral history at its finest. Wagner, with Steven Zeitlin and Marjorie Hunt of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife, share interviews with hispanic farmer Cleofes Vigil, civil rights activist Rosina Tucker, Jewish baker Moishe Sacks, and other members of an older and wiser generation. Each shares a unique perspective on aging and gives important advice to those who follow. There is a little of everyone's grandma and grandpa in this remarkable documentary.

Later this week, we'll introduce Ancestors: Family Stories. You'll learn how and why to gather family stories, and you'll follow Fabiana Chiu's quest to document her family's journey from China, through Peru, to New York City.

Life is busy, and the holidays are often the only time we give ourselves to gather together and share the things that make us a family. Don't let these moments pass - do your part to preserve your family's unique legacy!

Have you checked out our latest addition, Grand Generations, yet? It features interviews with half a dozen older folks from a variety of backgrounds and traditions. They're all fascinating, but we did a double take when civil rights activist Rosina Harvey Tucker casually mentioned that she was 102 during her interview!

So surprised were we that we checked out census records to verify her claim -- and sure enough, she was telling the truth. You can find her in the 1900 census (Washington, D.C.) as Rosina Harvey, an 18-year-old music teacher living with her parents and siblings. And then as "Rosena Carrothers" in the 1910 census. And then as Rosina Tucker in the 1920 and 1930 census records (she was widowed by 1916). And her age is always consistent.

Sadly, she passed away in 1987, but if you watch Grand Generations, you'll see that she packed a lot of living into 105 years!

Time for another contest! During the holiday season, we'll be adding new programming related to snagging and preserving those precious, hilarious, inspiring and embarrassing family stories. So to go along with this, we're having another contest. The prize? Half a dozen of you will receive a DVD of the one-hour documentary Call of Story.

All you have to do to enter is to subscribe to the Og Blog. See where it says "Subscribe to Og Blog" over in the right-hand column? Just type your email in the space provided and you're entered in the contest. If you win, we'll contact you for your snail mail to send your prize. And if you've already subscribed to the Og Blog, thanks! You're already entered!

The contest runs through 12/31/06.

Good luck!

Want to gather your family stories, but not quite sure how to begin? Look in the How-To section under Oral History for "Capturing the Past." There you'll learn how to plan, prepare, conduct, and preserve oral histories.

And you don't need to be a professional to capture wonderful family stories. Check out "Life as a Kid" in the Roots Video vlog to see an example of how great "homemade" oral histories can be. The Appalachian Media Access Center trained local volunteers, including children, to gather these fantastic community stories.

So this holiday season, arm yourselves with a camera, recorder, or pen and paper, and ask your grandparents a few leading questions. In the end, you'll be grateful you were able to extend the life of someone you love through living history.

We can't help but notice that our most popular shows to date are our home-grown ones -- that is, the ones we've produced ourselves. These include, for instance, the Annie Moore press conference ("Immigration" tab under "Homeland"), War Letters with Andrew Carroll (the "Shorts" tab under "Roots Living"), Heir Jordan, Extreme Genealogy with Jordan Auslander (also the "Shorts" tab under "Roots Living"), DNA Stories ("DNA Stories" tab under DNA), and Roots Books ("Roots Books" tab under "Roots Living").

While we'll continue to license all sorts of gems (have you checked out Grand Generations yet?), we want to be sure to deliver what you want. So we invite you to tell us what you want.

Which topics and people would you like to see -- or like to see more of?? If you were in charge, would there be more DNA? more oral history? more feature films? more research tips? And would there be more Curt Witcher? more Hank Jones? more Amy Johnson Crow? Or are there some folks we absolutely must add to the line-up who aren't here yet? Shoot us an email at info@rootstelevision.com and let us know what you think.

Fabiana Chiu has an amazing family story that winds from China to Lima, Peru to Chinatown in New York City, and you can see it in the newest show we've added, Ancestors: Gathering Family Stories. She's especially lucky because she comes from a family of photographers!

In part 2 of this episode, you can learn from journalist Bill Zimmerman how to tape effective oral interviews with your family members. As you make your plans for the remainder of this holiday season, why not take a few minutes to watch this episode and learn how to capture a memory or two? We promise you'll be grateful for your foresight a few years down the road.

Quite a few of you have contacted us to say that you've had problems locating a show you had viewed here previously -- especially ones that were initially showcased as "NEW!" and then moved to their permanent homes.

We're aware this is an issue, so we're working on a searchable program guide to make it easier to find your favorites and discover others you might not have noticed before. So hold on just a while longer . . . help is on the way! And thanks for you input!

Many of you out there are probably longtime fans of Dear Myrtle. Now you have a chance to listen to Myrtle and learn a little more about the origins of Roots Television as well!

Last week, one of our founders, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, did an interview for Dear Myrtle's Family History Hour. If you want to listen in and learn more, just go here (her blog) or here (her main website).

(Brought to you by Roots Television)

We'd like to thank Tina Sansone, BellaOnline's genealogy editor. Apparently, she recently spotted Roots Television and likes what she sees! Here's her review. Thanks, Tina!

If you haven't checked out the Shops here at Roots Television yet, now is the perfect time -- especially if you're stuck trying to find the perfect gift for one or more of your research buddies. If you want something they probably don't have yet, be sure to check out the RootsGear section. You'll find clever and customized designs there to suit any roots sleuth on your list!

We just told you yesterday about the great genealogical gear you might want to check out for the genealogists on your gift list, but we just had to show you this latest "It's Genealogy Season" design! Perfect holiday-wear, don't you think?

You may or may not be aware that Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak is one of the co-founders of Roots Television, and now she's issuing an invitation for you to stump her with your brick wall mysteries. Get more details here.